Pubdate: Wed, 20 Apr 2016
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Gregory Middleton
Page: 14

'ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE' IS HERE

We are living through the zombie apocalypse with Vancouver's drug
problems.

We ignored the warnings when cocaine flooded into Vancouver during
Expo 86 and when heroin was reintroduced in quantity after the
handover of Hong Kong to China and the Triads moved in here.

We did try to prevent the spread of disease through the use of dirty
needles but did little to get people off drugs and into a productive
life because it was too expensive.

The medical community is now increasingly saying that there is really
no point in trying to detox, treat and rehabilitate hard drug users.
The so-called Four Pillar approach fell over because we never
committed to getting people off drugs and training them to live
productive lives.

Street gangs fight openly over supplying drug users and bring in
stronger and stronger drugs. A huge population of drug zombies now
live in ghettos on the fringes of our cities. It is the zombie
apocalypse of those B movies. Get used to it.

Gregory Middleton, Victoria
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt