DRUG POLICY

The most dangerous policy that the Plano police could pursue is arresting
people who call 911 or an emergency room in a drug-related crisis. Kelly
Marie Smith would have been better off had she dumped Natacha Campbell in a
ditch rather than trying to save her life. If the police are interested in
saving lives, they should adopt a policy of never responding to unconscious
person calls. Paramedics only should respond and they should bring naloxone.

Some accurate information in the media wouldn't hurt either. The term
"overdose" is very misleading. Death rarely occurs from taking too much
heroin and it is a long, slow process. In contrast, death can occur quickly
if even a typical dose of heroin is used with another depressant, such as
alcohol. In either case the patient can be saved with a timely injection of
naloxone, but not if everyone involved is afraid to call for help.

The job of the police is to arrest people. Saving lives is the job of the
medical community. Turning drug policy over to the police has gotten us
where we are today, 12 dead in and around Plano and counting.

SUZANNE WILLS, Treasurer, Drug Policy Forum of Texas, Dallas