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.