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
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom