LEGALIZE DOPE, SAYS MAYORALTY HOPEFUL

During a week set aside to promote province-wide awareness about drugs,
Courtenay mayoralty candidate Bob Melnuk is suggesting legalizing banned
substances - including "hard" drugs such as heroin and cocaine.

The proposal has upset some community groups.

During an election debate held at the Coast Westerly Motel Monday night,
Melnuk told the audience that 85 per cent of criminal acts have as their
root cause alcohol or drugs.

"We're not dealing with the problem," he said.

"Maybe we need to look at legalizing drugs," Melnuk said, responding to a
question about how to deal with drugs and crime in the community.

The remark didn't elicit much obvious reaction, but someone in the crowd
snickered. He replied: "You laugh but Switzerland has tried it."

Later, Melnuk confirmed he was serious about his proposal.

"All I'm saying is we should sit down as a community and look at the whole
issue, and look at new ways of dealing with (drugs)," he said.

Since a certain percentage of people are predisposed to addiction - whether
to gambling, alcohol or drugs - and will became addicts, he said it's
better to control the situation through legalization.

Switzerland has successfully set up clinics, staffed by health workers,
where addicts can get their fix legally, he pointed out. This way, addicts
would receive a safe dose of drugs, without risking disease from dirty
needles. Crime and policing costs would be reduced as addicts would no
longer have to feed their habits by stealing, prostitution and other
crimes, he said.

"Switzerland is dealing with the drug problem in a human and caring way,"
Melnuk said.

He said a documentary on Swiss legalization shows how the method works,
with addicts still able to maintain jobs, merely breaking for a quick trip
to the drug clinic.

"It's like a coffee break. There's no worry about people carrying knives
and guns."

Counselling is also offered to addicts when they get their fix to get at
the root cause of the addiction, he added.

Decriminalizing drugs would also reduce health care costs, Melnuk said, as
50 per cent of hospital admissions result from substance abuse.

Would legalization increase drug use among kids?

Young kids already know how to access drugs in the community, he said, so
legalization wouldn't necessarily make it easier for them to use drugs.

TREADS, a Comox Valley group that promotes drug resistance education, is
appalled at the idea of legalizing drugs. (Earlier this year, TREADS
strongly advocated for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program
which begins in local elementary schools this year as a pilot project.)

"Unfortunately, (Melnuk is) misinformed," said TREADS chair Lois Thompson.

She said the group has already offered to show Melnuk follow-up studies on
the Swiss experience, which show legalization has exacerbated the problems
associated with drugs. The studies also show that making drugs available
legally would increase addiction, she said.

"I hope we never see the day of legalization of drugs," Thompson said.

North Island drug awareness coordinator Barrie Schneider was in meetings
Tuesday and could not be reached by press time.

But former RCMP Vancouver Island district officer Cec Weigum, who is now
retired in Courtenay, said he is personally opposed to the idea.

"We've got enough problems with alcohol, let alone hard drugs," he said.

"Police are naturally reluctant to see something that can be so detrimental
to society as a whole become legalized just because of widespread use. I
think they prefer the education approach - diminishing demand rather than
legalizing it."

Albert Montreuil, administrator of the Comox Valley Recovery Centre, which
provides counselling and support for substance abusers, said he's also
opposed to the idea.