DESTRUCTIVE DRUGS IN NELSON

To the Editor:

It troubles me deeply to see the effects of cocaine and other
destructive drugs on the community of Nelson. Anyone who has driven
through the saddest streets of East Hastings can attest to the
destructive nature of these drugs.

Perhaps if more of the students in our schools in Nelson had actually
been through those streets, they wouldn't be so quick to sniff
anything that someone tells them they'll get off on.

About 18 months ago I was horrified to see a group of teenagers from
my school roll up to a party drunk and high on coke. In groups, they
started beating the hell out of random teenagers who had done nothing
to them and wanted no part in the violence. Four people ended up in
the hospital, one with severe facial swelling and short term memory
loss (from his face being stamped on by two boys while he lay on the
ground unconscious) another with stitches in his head from being
smashed with a hard object and another with a severe concussion and
spinal injury. I was assaulted by two of them myself; and if it
weren't for fast legs, police officers and guardian angels, I would
have been laying in a hospital bed as well.

In my opinion, this kind of heartless violence would not have been
possible without cocaine. I understand that cocaine use doesn't
always result in this kind of behaviour; however, it does seem to me
that violence and cocaine are closely linked.

As I said before, this troubles me deeply because for so long Nelson
has felt like a safe place. Nelson has been a place where you don't
have to lock and bar your doors and a place where young people can
walk around our streets and parks without worrying abut gang
violence. Such a place is a very rare and precious thing in the world
today and I can't help but wonder; is this something we've lost?

Alex Cormier

Nelson, B.C.

Age 18