MESSAGE WE SEND OUT IS IMPORTANT

ANYONE reading the Letters page on Monday, May 29, and Sunday, May 28, would
have been forgiven for thinking that The Canberra Times was biased! Shock,
horror! At least that was the message I got when the same letter by Steve
Erskine, supporting the injecting room, was printed on both days. Now I am
sure that it was just an error on the part of the CT's editorial staff, but
do you see how easy it is for people to get the wrong message? Which is why
I still firmly believe that setting up an injecting room for drug addicts
sends the wrong message, to them and to any others who might be considering
using illegal drugs to numb their emotional pain, that society condones drug
taking. Addicts of any kind look for approval to keep them addicted. That is
why an alcoholic will grasp on to any report that says that "drinking is
good for you'', or "a glass or two a day won't hurt you''. The same thing is
true with drug addicts; they too really want approval to continue their
deadly habit. Let's not give it to them. If Michael Moore is really wanting
to help drug addicts then he should set up more detox units. (Or are they
too costly?) Maybe that's why he wants to inflict an "el cheapo"
drug-injecting room on us: it will cost less to run.

Carrie May
Belconnen