SIMPLISTIC APPROACH IS WRONG

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 like HIV. Supervised injection sites and needle exchange
programs may be controversial to some, but the scientific evidence
shows that 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 Executive Director AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County