DEAD WRONG ON DRUGS

All this talk about longer jail terms and taking people's rights away
in the interests of law enforcement seems based on the idea that the
end justifies the means. What about when a mistake is made -- and
they do happen.

What about taking the criminal out of the addiction to drugs and
removing the profits, and the resulting fights for turf and deaths,
from drug sales?

Stricter penalties only make the drugs more expensive, because the
risk is greater. Treatment and safe injection sites are needed, not
more jails. More places to live and lower rents. Harm reduction
instead of the useless, expensive, futile battle against drugs.

Holland and other countries that have eased drug laws do not have 30
or 40 drug-related gang deaths in the first two months of a new year.

We are forced to watch the same mistakes made over and over, ignoring
what has proven effective and staying with policies that are
obviously not working.

Andy Snitzer

Victoria