SUFFERING FROM SELF-INFLICTED ILLNESS

Re: "Driver shoots up, dies," Oct. 8.

Will someone please help me to get my head around the incident in
which David Smelts died?

In his 20s, Smelts knowingly and deliberately flouted the criminal
laws of Canada, laws under which the possession and recreational use
of cocaine is prohibited. Predictably becoming addicted, he continued
flouting our criminal laws until his death at the age of 45 years.

On Friday, while seriously jeopardizing public safety by driving a
vehicle in the wrong direction on the Trans-Canada Highway, he
crashed into a concrete barrier. Still seated in his damaged vehicle,
he injected himself with cocaine, then threatened police officers who
had come to his assistance.

Smelts' grieving relatives reportedly attribute his death to failure
of tax-supported social agencies to provide a residential treatment
program for him.

Where does or should the buck stop when assigning responsibility for
the well-being of individuals who suffer from self-inflicted illness?

Gordon Payne,

Comox.