A SENSIBLE POLICY ON DRUGS SAVES LIVES

Dear Editor -

I am concerned about what I've been hearing from some federal parties
about how to combat drug use in our community.

The "war on drugs" approach doesn't work and simply throwing drug
addicts in jail isn't a sensible long-term solution.

We've seen how ineffective that approach has been in the United
States, so why would we want to do it here?

There are effective alternatives to dealing with drug use, such as
harm-reduction and treatment programs. These programs help save lives
by preventing fatal drug overdoses and stopping the spread of diseases
such as HIV.

Supervised injection sites and needle-exchange programs may be
controversial to some, but the scientific evidence shows they work.

We need a government that will make decisions based on facts -- that
is what will keep our community safe and healthy.

Tom Hammond

Guelph