Source:   Ottawa Sun
Contact:    July 24, 1997

  Crime victim blames senseless drug laws

                       Prescription for a safer society

   CREDIT: By RON CORBETT
   Ottawa Sun

    The last time Samuel Fleming was robbed, this past Friday, two
   thieves broke into his store, waved a gun at two frightened employees,
   and then robbed Fleming of about $350 in cash.

    On their way out, they also took the following: Demerol, Endocet,
   Endodan, Tylenol 2, Tylenol 3, Tylenol 4 and morphine.

    Fleming, who has owned Bayshore Pharmacy on Carling Ave. for the past
   19 years, says all the drugs were in pill form, and when all the
   different brands of painkillers are tallied up, the two thieves made
   off with thousands of pills.

    He says there is no doubt in his mind that many of those pills are
   now being sold on the streets of Ottawa.

    "The legal value of the pills was around $1,000," says Fleming. "But
   on the street, the value would be much, much more. It could be 10
   times the legal price. Perhaps even more.

    "Those pills are being sold and some criminals are making money. And
   we're the ones, the taxpaying, working people of this country, who
   will end up paying for it all."

    The 48yearold father of four has a unique perspective on a lot of
   problems facing society today  crime, drug abuse, health care cuts
    a special outlook that comes from working behind the counter of a
   pharmacy for nearly 20 years.

    Certainly he is no stranger to crime.

    "The last time we were robbed was March of '94, so we've been on a
   good run," he says. "This time it happened about 3 o'clock in the
   afternoon. Two men burst into the pharmacy wearing masks and
   brandishing what looked to be a gun.

    "One of them jumped over the counter and demanded money and drugs. I
   had two female employees working, and they're still scared by what
   happened."

    The two thieves used a stolen car in the holdup, and the car was
   abandoned not far from Bayshore Pharmacy. Police found the car, but no
   sign of the thieves. A dog brought to the scene followed the thieves'
   trail for a bit, but then lost it.

    No arrests. No suspects. No chance of the crime being solved anytime
   soon.

    Fleming is upset about being robbed  no surprise there  but he is
   also upset  and this may come as a surprise  with the way drugs
   are handled under the Criminal Code.

    "The way we handle this problem does a disservice to society," says
   Fleming. "We should take drugs like cocaine and heroin out of the
   Code.

    "We should set up clinics, where anyone registered as a drug addict
   can come to get their drugs. They can be sold to the addict for the
   legal cost of the drug and a doctor can administer it.

    "Any money made (at the clinics) could be spent on counselling and
   rehabilitation for the addicts. Marijuana should be treated
   differently as well. Make it completely legal. Sell it at the corner
   store. It's a waste of money and effort making that an illegal drug."

    Controversial views, but as a licensed pharmacist who also runs a
   business and pays his fair share of taxes, Fleming says he's entitled
   to his opinion. And he's adamant that taking these steps would solve a
   great many problems.

    Crime, for one, would be drastically reduced. Why rob him, if you can
   get your painkillers at a governmentrun clinic? What sort of business
   would criminals have if they couldn't mark up Demerol to 10 times its
   legal price? Not much of one, in Fleming's opinion.

    The decrease in drugs would lead to a similar decrease in violence. A
   decrease in violence would lead to fewer demands on our health care
   system.

    "If a criminal gets shot when he's trying to hold up a gas station to
   get money for drugs, he's rushed to the hospital and he gets the first
   doctor and the first operating room available," says Fleming. "You
   could be waiting in the emergency room with your son, and you'd get
   bumped.

    "How long can we afford to do that? It has to change."
    With the decrease in crime and violence, not only would there be
   savings in health care, but in police and legal services as well.
    When you tally it all up, Fleming says it makes a lot of sense to
   take drugs out of the Criminal Code.

    "This is a deep concern of mine," he says. "I'm a father of four and
   I wonder what sort of future my children will have. If it's going to
   be a good one, we have to start looking at different ways of handling
   this problem."

    In the meantime, he'll keep working behind the barred windows of his
   pharmacy on Carling Ave., waiting for the next junkie to come in
   waving a handgun.

   Copyright (c) 1997, Canoe Limited Partnership.