DEAL WITH ADDICTS' PROBLEMS RATHER THAN FUNDING SAFE SITES

Re: An irrational and stupid drug policy, May 31.

I fully support the government's new drug strategy for Canada that is
based on prevention, treatment and enforcement. I thank Health
Minister Tony Clement for taking a stand.

Less than five per cent of the injection drug users of Vancouver use
Insite, the supervised injection site, leaving 95 per cent on their
own. Those statistics from the Insite report itself indicate to me
that to meet all the needs of every injection user, Vancouver would
need another 19 sites alone.

Each site costing $3,000,000 per year. Not knowing how many will make
it to treatment, only how many have been referred, means that this
need could grow on a yearly basis.

I respect Mr. Gardner's opinion but do not agree with it. I have
worked in a volunteer capacity with the homeless, poor and addicts of
the inner city of Ottawa for more than 12 years and have witnessed
firsthand the deterioration of their lives and our city. Having
visited Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, I can only pray that the same
doesn't happen here in Ottawa.

Mr. Gardner mentions that "real prevention means dealing with the
social decay -- broken families, mental illness, illiteracy -- that
promotes drug abuse." I agree that this indeed is the root cause and
would definitely be a good starting place to invest money. This is the
real issue at the end of the day.

Harm reduction measures only ensure the addictive behaviour continues
and doesn't do anything to prevent it from beginning in the first place.

England has reclassified marijuana, Scotland is examining its
methadone program, New Zealand is examining if it can force addicts
into treatment and Amsterdam in Holland has closed some of its
prostitution sites along with some cafes which are really cannabis
distribution sites.

My question to Mr. Gardner is: are all those other countries and
governments also irrational and stupid given they are reviewing their
drug policies and re-adjusting them to better serve the citizens?

ANDRE BIGRAS

Gatineau

Drug Prevention Network of Canada