DRUGS STILL ILLEGAL, EVEN WITH 'SAFE INJECTION'

Re: "It's time to quit being so blindly stupid about addictions,"
column, Aug. 21.

Jody Paterson vilifies the Harper government for not supporting
safe-drug injection sites and equates the use of drugs with that of
alcohol.

She clearly has forgotten one huge difference. Drugs used for "safe
injection" are outlawed substances and usually obtained through
illegal means. Also, in a desperate attempt to feed their addiction,
most illegal drug users resort to crime.

It's no coincidence that home break-ins in Vancouver continue to rise
in tandem with drug use. Clearly, a "clinical, brightly lit room" is
much more appealing for those needing a fix than a "grubby little squat."

But let's not delude ourselves into thinking that government-funded
injection sites are "safe."

P.A. Trottier,

North Saanich