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
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom