HARPER SHOULD TAKE THE TIME TO TOUR DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE

Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have his hands full these days with
the crisis in the Middle East. But let's hope he will soon be able to
visit the West Coast to take in the gritty street drama that
continues to be played out in downtown Vancouver.

After all, the troubled state of the Downtown Eastside and its small
army of drug addicts and beggars is fast gaining global attention.

An article in Britain's prestigious Economist magazine describes how,
in Vancouver's once-pleasant downtown, "homeless panhandlers yell at
theatre-goers, while young addicts deal drugs on street corners."

Now, the level of human misery in the Downtown Eastside may be no
worse than that in the skid-row districts of other large North
American cities. And certainly there is no shortage of social
services offering a helping hand.

But the concentration of people with problems and the openness of the
drug-dealing here has many visitors from other countries shaking their heads.

Our government has attempted to tackle this by setting up, on a trial
basis, a safe-injection site for drug users to shoot up legally.

The program, however, is due to wind up in September, and the site
will close unless it can obtain special federal dispensation.

At least one local drug users' group has invited Harper to tour the
Downtown Eastside so he can witness first-hand the devastation caused
by drug abuse.

We suggest he take it up on its offer.