GETTING TO THE ROOT OF DEPENDENCY

You wrote, "Drug problems come with no easy solutions," providing as
an example of a drug problem, "what appears to be drug activity in
Rotary gardens." (Better approach needed, Observer, July 26).

To find a better approach, I think we need to differentiate between
the socio-economic problems underlying and caused by drug dependency,
and the systemic problems arising from the black market, such as
unregulated drug sales in inappropriate areas, grow ops, meth labs,
drug adulteration, fatal overdoses, infectious diseases, gangs,
violence, crime and prostitution.

Al Capone didn't instigate the St. Valentine's Day Massacre because
he was drunk, nor did Pablo Escobar order the assassination of judges
and prosecutors because he was addicted to cocaine.

There are no easy solutions to the socio-economic problems that
cause, and are caused by, drug dependency. However, there is a
painfully obvious solution to the problems caused by, or exacerbated
by, criminal drug prohibitions, and it doesn't involve chasing drug
dealers from one neighbourhood to the next, reporting each other to
the police, hiring more cops, eroding our civil rights or having yet
another townhall meeting.

Matthew M. Elrod

Victoria