Pubdate: Wed, 10 May 2017
Source: North Bay Nugget (CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 North Bay Nugget
Contact: http://www.nugget.ca/letters
Website: http://www.nugget.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2226
Author: John R Hunt
Page: A4

WAR ON DRUGS A COLOSSAL FAILURE

Be careful! This was the message to users of illegal drugs from the
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit. Drug overdoses have killed
hundreds of people in British Columbia. The most recent report shows
that 120 died in March of this year.

The local warning came as a result of a man using tainted cocaine. He
was taken to the North Bay Regional Health Centre. He was given large
doses of naloxone. It probably saved his life. Drug users are being
told to have a friend standing by when they ingest drugs. If something
goes wrong the friend can dial 911 and perhaps save a life.

Drug dealers are not nice people. They are lacing their products with
all types of strange substances. The most deadly is carfentanil, which
was designed to knock out elephants.

First responders must be careful as just touching carfentanil can
cause a serious reaction.

The slaughter of the more or less innocent in British Columbia is
spreading across Canada.

North Bay and Northern Ontario can expect it to plague their
communities. Questions must be asked how Canada has handled illegal
drugs.

Marijuana surfaced about 60 years ago. I wrote hundreds or thousands
of words about its evils.

Now I do not believe hardly anything of what was supposed to be true.
As an example of mass hypocrisy, young people are getting criminal
records for handling what the government will soon declare legal.

Drugs should be viewed as a public health problem.

Instead Canada and the U.S. have both tried to use laws and the police
to fight the drug trade. The jails are full and the drug trade is
flourishing. Illegal drugs are killing more people than in most
terrorists attacks.

There is something to be said for legalizing all drugs. If someone
wants a shot of cocaine or heroin, let them go to a drug store and buy
it. At least the drug would be pure and organized crime would not be
involved.

Conventional thinking and the war on drugs have been colossal
failures. Now even a peaceful city like North Bay must be afraid of
drug dealers and their products.
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