Pubdate: Sat, 21 May 2011 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2011 Johanne Brownrigg Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n322/a07.html Author: Johanne Brownrigg INSITE IS NO DRUG PANACEA Re: If a drug policy works, Harper wants nothing to do with it, May 17. Dan Gardner seems to think Insite is the solution to society's profound problem of dealing with an individual's addiction. And his dislike of Prime Minister Stephen Harper blinds him to the whole truth. Although it seems to work, in fact Insite has helped to destroy a whole section of Vancouver. The problem with Insite, like brothels for that matter, is that behaviour doesn't stay packaged in the nice, neat place where we condone it. It spills over. It attracts dangerous individuals and it holds a street, a community, a district, hostage to the perpetrators. Fewer needles in parks and playgrounds? Perhaps because, like flypaper, addicts from all over flock to one section of town, and where they have made it untenable to live or to work. Whose neighbourhood should be sacrificed next? Europe's success? Every year in Vienna, countries from around the world gather for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime meeting. Sweden played a major role in March of this year. The latter has Europe's lowest rates of crime, disease, medical and social problems stemming from drug addiction. This is due to the fact that Sweden employs a program of compulsory drug treatment for addicts. This success is similar to that achieved by drug courts in Canada, which ensure that addicts undergo treatment and rehabilitation as an alternative to a conviction and court record. The success rate of treatment obtained either voluntarily or by court order, is the same. I for one, am grateful to the Harper government for having the concerns of all Canadians in mind when dealing with the existence and possible expansion of this program. There is another side which deserves to be heard. JOHANNE BROWNRIGG, Orleans - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom