Pubdate: Fri, 12 Feb 2010
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Emile Therien
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n103/a08.html

ILL-INFORMED IDEOLOGY

The federal government's decision to appeal a B.C. Supreme Court
ruling sanctioning Vancouver's Insite program is a classic case of
political ideology trumping public health, medical science and common
sense.

We need to start treating drug addiction for what it is: a public
health problem. Costly incarceration, mean-spiritedness, community
pandering, media hype and political grandstanding have never worked.

The wealth of medical and scientific information supporting of
harm-reduction programs is overwhelming. The B.C. Supreme Court
recognized this. It's embarrassing this ill-informed government is
appealing.

Emile Therien, Ottawa 
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