Pubdate: Wed, 02 Apr 2008
Source: Martlet (CN BC Edu)
Copyright: 2008 Martlet Publishing Society
Contact:  http://www.martlet.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3140
Author: David Karp
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

PROF EDUCATING HARPER WITH WEEKLY READINGS

Uvic Researcher Launches Website And Will Send Prime Minister 52 
Reports On Drug Addiction This Year

UVic professor Susan Boyd is hoping to capture the attention of Prime 
Minister Stephen Harper by launching a website, www.educatingharper.com.

Boyd, a drug policy researcher, launched the website on Feb. 1. The 
website is about drug policy and contains research that Boyd is 
sending to Harper - one document per week.

"I am curious about what Stephen Harper reads. That's in essence part 
of the reason I decided to do the website and send him an article 
every week," said Boyd, who is in Vancouver on sabbatical, doing 
research. "I don't think his advisers are bringing him the wonderful 
array of research and articles that have been written about these issues."

The Conservative party's drug strategy is misguided, Boyd said. She 
believes harm reduction, rather than stiffer penalties for drug 
traffickers, is the way to go.

"It's really difficult to keep harm reduction programs running when 
prohibition is the national drug policy," she said. "In fact, much of 
the harms that we associate with illegal drug use are actually caused 
by, or linked to, prohibition.

"[Take] the drug trade, for instance. Violence associated with the 
drug trade, high black market prices, adulterated prices, drug 
overdoes - all of those things are related to drug prohibition."

Boyd said harm reduction can take a variety of approaches, including 
drug education, safe injection programs and detox clinics.

"Problematic drug use is really a symptom of other issues," she said.

More than 78 per cent of federal drug funding goes toward criminal 
justice initiatives, while only three per cent was allocate to harm 
reduction, Boyd said, adding that the Conservative government has 
since made cuts to harm re-duction funding.

"It's interesting to me that this tiny little amount could be so 
controversial to this government."

Boyd got the idea for her campaign from Life of Pi author Yann 
Martel, who has been sending Harper a book every two weeks to draw 
attention to the lack of funding for Canadian arts and culture.

"I was sitting here one evening, and I think it was after I read 
something about the new crime bill that was being proposed, and I 
went to the computer and thought I'll write a letter of protest," she said.

"And then I thought, why add to my thick file of letters that outline 
my discontent with drug policy?"

The website includes the 52 documents that Boyd is sending Harper. 
More than 20 articles are from peer-reviewed journals. Boyd said the 
research is clear about the effectiveness of harm reduction.

"Certainly, [the Conservatives] are not basing their decisions on the 
research that's available, and that's a little bit frightening for 
Canadians themselves and researchers in the field, because when 
you're basing policy out of ideology, it's not necessarily for the 
common good," Boyd said. "I don't see any evidence that harsher laws 
or continuing prohibition makes society safer or healthier."

So far, there's been no word back from the Prime Minister or health 
minister Tony Clement, whom she also sent letters to.

"I expect I might get a form letter, because in the past when I've 
written - not just Stephen Harper but other prime ministers - about 
drug policy issues that have come up, I've occasionally received a 
form letter," said Boyd.

However, she's optimistic that the Prime Minister will read the 
material she sends him, even if he doesn't write back.

If he doesn't, Boyd said the project won't be for nothing.

"If it turns out that he doesn't [read the material I send him], I 
feel that it has a usefulness for other concerned people who live in 
Canada who want to learn about harm reduction and drug policy," Boyd said.

Visit Boyd's website, www.educatingharper.com , for descriptions of 
each week's readings that she sends to Harper, and a link to the 
Prime Minister's e-mail, as well as a form letter concerned citizens 
can send him.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom