YES! ADDICTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR CHOICES

I'm reading the July 19 letters from Province readers scolding Lisa van der
Zwart for her comments regarding money spent on drug addicts being wasted.

Well, I, for one, agree with her comments. I believe that $50 million can
be put to better use. I think money spent on re-users is a waste.

I completely understand that everyone makes mistakes and they are entitled
to be helped out once. But twice, three times? When is it fair to say that
this human being is a waste to society?

There's one reader who claims, "drug addicts did NOT ask to become
addicted, they did NOT ask to become hookers, they did NOT ask to become
the bottom feeders of life."

YES they did. The moment you choose to stick a needle in your arm, you make
a decision that may lead you down this path.

Sandra Karkoglou, Burnaby

I agree with Lisa van der Zwart that NOBODY forces them to stick a needle
in their arm, smoke a joint or swallow a pill to get high the first time.

My opinion is that these people do not have enough spine to say, "no" or
even, "I will not do that again!"

We live in one of the highest taxed countries in the world and just about
every day they're ramming new taxes down our throats. Still, the bleeding
hearts want us to feel sorry for drug users!

Peter Spierenburg, Surrey

Linda van der Zwart is right on. It is not my problem or the government's
problem that these people are on skid row.

They made the choice to shoot heroin, etc. Don't try to sugarcoat it by
saying it could be my father, sister, brother. That's not fair. I didn't
put the needle in their arms. They willingly injected it. And now they trot
out the old excuse, let's not take responsibility for our own actions, it's
easier to blame someone else!

Simon Field, Surrey