Pubdate: Wed, 04 Oct 2006 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 Author: F. W. Macauley ADDICTION DILEMMAS Editor: I have some questions regarding the proposal in A.C. Brumell's letter of Sept. 22 ('Redneck ignorance in response to addiction'). What constitutes a "registered addict" and where do new addicts go? If, after receiving his free dose, the registered addict does not do a crime, what does he do? Does he go to work, or school, or does he just hang out until his next fix? Who provides food and lodging for him? Who and where are the (presumably) legal dealers from whom society is buying its drugs? Since "registered" addicts are not committing crimes, is "they wouldn't let me register" a defence plea available to an addictwho does commit a crime? There is no doubt that drug addiction is a serious matter, tremendously complex, and cannot be solved by simplistic methods. I also have a sense of futility about the attempts to deal with the problem - but like many others, I have no definitive answer. Perhaps Brumell could work with the operators of the safe-injunction site in Vancouver with the view of implementing some modified version of his proposal. As hesaid, let us try something else. F. W. Macauley Kamloops - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine