Pubdate: Thu, 02 Feb 2012
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Authors: Evan Wood and David Bratzer
Note: Evan Wood is founder of Stop the Violence BC. David Bratzer is 
a police officer and, while off-duty, volunteers as a board member of 
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. His personal views do not 
represent those of his police department.

STOP THE VIOLENCE: THE CASE AGAINST POT PROHIBITION

The front lines of the War on Drugs in British Columbia are not for 
the faint of heart. As an internal medicine specialist and a police 
officer who has spent much of his career at the forefront of anti- 
drug enforcement efforts, we've witnessed the bloody aftermath of 
shootings, stabbings and other violent confrontations that are common 
in B. C.' s drug trade.

Assuming the victim is not killed on the scene, the Lower Mainland's 
emergency rooms are first point of care after a drug gang shooting. 
In each case, a noticeable chill comes over the emergency room when 
shooting victims - young, bloody, terrified and clinging to life - 
are wheeled into the trauma bay for resuscitation. They are usually 
accompanied by paramedics doing chest compressions and escorted by 
police. The police then restrict access to the emergency room to 
ensure other gangsters don't arrive to make further attempts on the 
victim's life.

Shooting victims are moved quickly to specialty areas such as 
thoracic surgery or general surgery, depending on their injuries, or 
to the critical care unit to await or recover from trauma surgery. At 
times, health care resources are severely taxed. A shooting victim 
can see up upwards of 10 physicians through the process from 
emergency, operation and post-op care. Some spend weeks in intensive 
care through the recovery process. When the gang warfare spiked in 
2009, gunshot victims arriving at Vancouver General Hospital seemed 
commonplace.

A 12- month homicide investigation costs about $ 921,500, according 
to the Lower Mainland District's Integrated Homicide Investigation 
Team. It can take years for a team of dedicated, professional 
detectives to bring a killer to justice. These efforts can involve 
police surveillance, undercover operations and other complex 
investigative techniques. The management of reluctant witnesses, many 
of whom fear for their lives, can be daunting for police. Success in 
the courtroom is not guaranteed.

Our experiences in the hospital and investigating gang activity have 
galvanized our interest in reducing violence related to the drug 
trade and organized crime. We have come together with other law 
enforcement officials, retired justices, public health and addiction 
experts, and past and current mayors to create Stop the Violence BC, 
which is dedicated to educating the public about the ineffectiveness 
and violent unintended consequences of marijuana prohibition.

Gangs in B. C. are fighting over the profits created by drug 
prohibition, particularly the enormous revenue they generate from the 
marijuana industry. Recently, the latest spike in violence involved 
the brazen shooting death of Sandip Duhre at Vancouver's Sheraton 
Wall Centre followed by shootings in Surrey. Police appear to be 
bracing for more violence after these attacks and have issued public warnings.

The violence that we now accept as B. C.' s new normal is staggering. 
In 2009, there were no fewer than 276 incidents of drive- by 
shootings, which the RCMP said often occurred "without regard for 
public safety."  As troubling, the RCMP asserted that violent acts 
would likely become more common in coming years as gangs consolidate 
their grip on the provincial drug market.

Meanwhile, marijuana prohibition has failed to achieve its 
objectives. The drug's supply is widespread and it remains easily 
available to all, including youth. Since 1990, the potency of 
marijuana has increased by 145 per cent and the price decreased by 58 
per cent, suggesting that the marijuana market is oversaturated. In 
short, marijuana is more accessible and more potent today despite 
massive taxpayer investments in efforts to control it.

Given the evidence that marijuana prohibition has failed and the 
direct link among the growth of organized crime, gang violence and 
marijuana prohibition, policy-makers must chart a different course.

Fortunately, moving away from a criminal justice approach and toward 
a public health approach is consistent with reducing rates of 
marijuana use. Research indicates that a model in which marijuana is 
regulated and taxed could redirect millions of dollars from gangs to 
government coffers. These dollars could fund effective drug 
prevention and law enforcement efforts. More importantly, a strictly 
regulated legal market has the potential to meaningfully reduce rates 
of marijuana use, in the same way that regulatory tools have 
dramatically cut rates of tobacco use.

Polls show that Canadians believe we should rethink our approach to 
marijuana and the majority of British Columbians support regulating 
and taxing the drug. The question is: How much more extreme gun 
violence do our communities have to endure before our politicians get 
the message?
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom