Pubdate: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Copyright: 2007 Times Colonist Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481 Author: Connor Whelan DRUG CRACKDOWN LONG OVERDUE Re: "Maybe hillbilly heroin is a good thing," Aug. 4. Specious economic arguments and arguments from authority, such as the alleged Swiss experiment with "free heroin," that are devoid of dates and follow-up information are not worth the paper they are written on. Contrary arguments are just as easily made. For example, the Netherlands is reportedly growing weary of the image of being the cesspool of the world with open drug use and prostitution and is looking for ways to clamp down their open vices. Free heroin and needle exchanges do nothing to discourage drug use any more than handing out money to panhandlers encourages them take responsibility for themselves and get a life. On the contrary, it condones and perpetuates drug use and dependency on the rest of society for free handouts. Witness the recent attack on the a retired doctor in Vancouver by a professional panhandler. If you want to look at how other jurisdictions handle the problem, consider Singapore. Do you hear anything about an open drug problem there? Panhandling, prostitution? Why is it that the mainstream press seems to always look for the most acquiescent examples they can find that only speak to reducing the drug problem, rather than to a jurisdiction where there is virtually no drug problem as a result of societal norms and strict, uniform law enforcement. Connor Whelan, Ladysmith. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom