Pubdate: Fri, 10 Oct 2008
Source: Guelph Tribune (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 Fairway Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.guelphtribune.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3422
Author: Tom Hammond

SIMPLISTIC APPROACH IS WRONG

I am concerned about what I've been hearing from some federal parties 
about how to combat drug use in our community.

The "war on drugs" approach doesn't work, and simply throwing drug 
addicts in jail isn't a sensible long-term solution. We've seen how 
ineffective that approach has been in the United States, so why would 
we want to do it here?

There are effective alternatives to dealing with drug use, such as 
harm reduction and treatment programs. These programs help save lives 
by preventing fatal drug overdoses and stopping the spread of 
diseases like HIV. Supervised injection sites and needle exchange 
programs may be controversial to some, but the scientific evidence 
shows that they work.

We need a government that will make decisions based on facts - that 
is what will keep our community safe and healthy.

Tom Hammond Executive Director AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom