Pubdate: Sat, 03 Dec 2016
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481

GET RID OF FENTANYL MARKET

Victoria police and the Canada Border Services Agency are to be
commended for a major drug bust that prevented 6,000 potentially
lethal doses of fentanyl from reaching the streets. But law
enforcement, no matter how diligent, is not enough to stem the deadly
toll from this powerful drug.

In October, border officials told Victoria police that a large
shipment of fentanyl was being sent from China to an address in
Victoria. Border officials intercepted the package and found it
contained 1.45 kilograms of fentanyl with an estimated value of $400,000.

The Victoria police strike-force unit went to the Victoria address
listed on the package, and further investigation led them to raid a
Saanich apartment where they found a large quantity of drugs,
including fentanyl.

That's a lot of drugs police kept off the street, and lives were
likely saved.

Unfortunately, it's a drop in the bucket.

Most illegal fentanyl comes from China, and while the RCMP are working
with Chinese officials to crack down on fentanyl and other opioids,
lax enforcement there means the flow is not likely to diminish.

Law-enforcement agencies should not give up on the effort to bring
traffickers to justice, and we believe those dealers should be
regarded as accessories to murder, but it's a game of whack-a-mole -
get rid of one and another one will pop up. As long as there are
buyers, there will be sellers.

The key is to get rid of the market, and that won't be easy. It's not
enough to say people shouldn't take the drug, that to do so is dancing
with death. More treatment beds are needed in B.C., but that, too, is
not enough.

Addiction has many roots, including poverty, abuse and mental illness.
More support is needed for those who are addicted, as well as those in
danger of becoming addicted.

Meanwhile, supervised consumption sites, while they might seem
counterintuitive, can help prevent overdose deaths. They can also
provide opportunities to assist people in overcoming addictions.

Keep pursuing the drug dealers, but let's also look for ways to
deprive them of a market.
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MAP posted-by: Matt