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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom