Pubdate: Sat, 13 Aug 2016 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Page: B6 Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Richard Bergman Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n541/a04.html INJECTION SITE IS NOT THE BEST SOLUTION Re: Why safe injections sites won't cut it, Aug. 9. Margret Kopala's comments were well-articulated and thought provoking, particularly when contrasted with today's trend toward language manipulation, promulgation of "half" facts and ignoring the big picture. As a former police officer in Vancouver, I have seen the dire need for aggressive rehabilitation treatment and drug prevention. I have also seen the social problems that arise when criminal exemptions are granted to injection sites and a "no enforcement" bubble is placed around the general area. Everyone flocks to the bubble zone, conducts their illicit activity and goes back to the next block, while the vast majority of injection drug users do not use the injection sites. Curious readers may be wondering why public policy thinkers who love to point to Sweden as the world leader for left-of-centre thinking on every other idea are now silent and uninterested in pointing to Sweden on its experience legalizing, then later criminalizing, marijuana and now more aggressively pushing for prevention, intervention and rehabilitation of all drug use. Sweden now enjoys the lowest drug-use rates in the western world. Richard Bergman, Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom