Pubdate: Tue, 09 Mar 2004
Source: Ladysmith-Chemanius Chronicle (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004 BC Newspaper Group & New Media
Contact:  http://www.ladysmithchronicle.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1279
Author: Kevin Allan

WHERE'S COMPASSION?

Editor:

In your article, "Small town facing 'big city' problem" March 2, RCMP
Const. Scott Rintoul states, "What kind of message are we sending our
kids with a safe injection site? We're normalizing drug use."

How about a message of compassion? To have a substance abuse problem
is bad enough but should you have to die because of it ? Because that
is all a safe injection site does, is to save lives of those who use
or abuse illicit street drugs that may not be safe because they are
not quality controlled or regulated like the legal drug alcohol (the
drug with the highest intoxication, the drug most dangerous to both
the user/abuser and those around the user/abuser), a clear consequence
of prohibition (much like moonshine with alcohol prohibition).

We don't even have the death penalty in Canada.

Why should we let the illicit drug addicts die needlessly when the
alcohol drug addicts are more dangerous?

Most addicts eventually quit as they get older.

You have to be alive to quit.

I say its compassion and that is a good message to send kids. The real
question is what message does RCMP Const. Scott Rintoul send to the
kids ?

Kevin Allan

North Vancouver
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin