DRAWING IN MORE ADDICTS

Vancouver's safe injection site was started as the four-pillar
approach to solve the drug problem on the Vancouver East Side.

It is a fraud perpetrated by some well-meaning politicians and people
in the industry.

There are no four pillars and as I have said for the past three years
or so, there will never be four pillars.

If these politicians don't know this then they are looking through
rose-coloured glasses.

There is no money to put in for the fourth pillar, i.e. treatment, and
for the very few who may turn their lives around and become productive
citizens, it is just not cost-effective.

There are too many other good causes crying out for more
funds.

The proponents tell us of its success. They have simply changed the
definition of success.

No one has been weaned off drugs, they only tout that no one has died from
overdose.

Big deal. What kind of life is it where their existence solely
revolves around injecting drugs?

The only advantage I see in it for the addicts is that they have a
clean and supervised place.

But that makes for good attraction to draw addicts from other
parts.

Dave Bains

Surrey