TOUGH-GUY POSTURING

Re: Plan for minimum, mandatory drug sentences draws fire, May 4.

I am not a proponent of marijuana use, but I see the Harper
government's proposed bill to impose Canada's first mandatory minimum
sentences for pot use as simple-minded, tough-guy posturing. It is a
cheap way to look decisive and dynamic, but it would quite possibly
destroy young lives before they begin and criminalize valuable citizens.

Complex social problems require more thoughtful responses, and this
tactic has already been tried in the U.S. and failed, along with
their ill-fated war on drugs.

Our culture is now soaked in ingested substances both prescribed and
unprescribed. When young people see that their elders cannot enjoy
themselves socially without a drink in their hands, they think this
is the cool way to be, and they fail to find healthier ways to relax.

In mental health care, such proven techniques as Milieu Therapy and
group therapy are now overlooked, because handing out a pill is
easier. The big pharmaceutical companies are laughing all the way to
the bank. Substance abuse is emblematic of our entire society, and
should be examined in its entirety, not scapegoated onto the youngest
and most vulnerable.

Madeline Bruce,

Nanaimo, B.C.