TOUGH LOVE NEEDED FOR SICK DOWNTOWN JUNKIES

Enough is enough.

That is what an alliance of business and resident groups is saying about
open drug-dealing in downtown Vancouver.

And they deserve our support, despite the protests of screaming "social
activists."

For years now, governments have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into
the den of misery known as the Downtown Eastside.

Much of that money simply pays the wages of the bureaucrats employed in
Canada's poverty industry. Much of the rest winds up in the veins of addicts.

In other words, taxpayers' cash not only fuels the downtown drug trade, but
makes life uncomfortable for law-abiding residents.

Securiguard Services boss Darcy Kernaghan says needle-wielding junkies
routinely threaten his security guards: "They'll shoot-up right in front of
police officers."

Kernaghan believes we need to treat drug addicts as sick people and give
them medical treatment, European-style.

Dorothy Barkley, of the Victory Square Property Owners Association, agrees
it's a war zone. But, she thinks the authorities place too much emphasis on
fancy social engineering and too little on law enforcement.

We think both Kernaghan and Barkley are right.

We need more medical help for drug addicts. We also need the police to deal
with the drug dealers. Tough love, in other words, needs to be applied.

What do you think? What can be done about downtown drug-dealing? Leave us a
brief comment on our voicesline at (604)605-2029, fax us at 605-2099 or
e-mail us at provletters@pacpress.southam.ca