'DON'T GIVE JUNKIES DRUGS'

Photo Caption (Photo of Anti-Drug rally) - Les Bazso, The Province / Safe
injection rooms do nothing to get junkies permanently off drugs, says a
recovering addict. Try treating them, instead.

I read the article in The Sunday Province concerning the clash between the
factions for and against drug rooms.

The question I ask is how can society justify giving an addict free legal
drugs and say such a move reduces the harm they suffer?

Because of the nature of the disease, addicts need an ever increasing
amount of drugs to satisfy the beast within.

And if the safe-injection-room program won't give them enough to almost put
them in an overdose (the state they must get to obtain the desired effect
of the drug), they will seek additional drugs to satisfy the beast, much
like they do now with the methadone maintenance program.

It is common knowledge that methadone maintenance doesn't work for most
people - - and it is also common knowledge that although we have the needle
exchange program, we have the highest rate of HIV in North America.

I have talked to hundreds of recovering addicts (like myself) and almost
all agree these services are not in the best interest of those who still
suffer.

These services not only cost the taxpayer a lot of money, they also
guarantee addicts a comfortable lifestyle so they never have to face their
destructive behaviour and take steps to turn their life around and become
acceptable, responsible, productive members of society.

I truly believe I would never have found the courage to change if I had
been given an endless supply of the poison that was killing me.

I can only hope and pray that the safe-injection rooms don't become a
reality and that the money will go toward treating those who sincerely want
help when they hit bottom.

Barry Joneson, Burnaby