Pubdate: Fri, 29 May 2009
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Karen Durant

GENERATION OF YOUTH DYING

Editor, the Times:

Drug abuse is a medical condition and should not be considered a
criminal offence.

I am so pleased to see more people having the courage to speak out
against the drug wars that are killing our youth. Employing more
police and building more jails just creates a community of criminals.

Portugal decriminalized drugs in 2001, crime has dropped, drug abuse
has dropped. The issue has been studied to death and history proves
prohibition does not work.

The regulation and tax of drugs, education and harm reduction will
lower crime and drug abuse. Parents need to know what their children
are doing, play the video games they are playing, what are they
teaching your child?

Communities need to know what our children are doing. What youth
activities do they have? I see a few churches have youth centres, but
what does our community have to offer our future?

The war on drugs has killed more youth that the drugs have. A
generation is dying.

Karen Durant,
Abbotsford
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake