Pubdate: Mon, 30 May 2005 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2005 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: J. R. Stone Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms) TREAT THE CAUSE, NOT THE HARM Regarding safe injection sites for addicts: What are the goals or purposes? Will the drug of choice be offered free, or must the recipient bring his or her own? Why not legalize all drugs and stop the enormous profits to the dealers? Prohibition never worked for alcohol but the government regulations stopped the huge profits for the bootleggers. Could that happen to the drug dealers? What percentage of drinkers are alcoholics? The same question can be asked for drug users. The media regularly presents the harms to society but rarely mentions a solution. We attempt to treat the harms but never the causes. We have a charter of rights without personal responsibility. Many would and will oppose regulations regarding drugs, especially the profiteers, and some of the reasons are obvious, for example "the poor quality of the drug offered on prescription" compared to the private growers' product. J.R. Stone, Saanich. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake