WHY DO WE PROVIDE SAFE ALCOHOL SITES?

Re: "Enabling addiction is no solution," letter, June 14.

A letter-writer suggests forcing all addicts into rehab and forcibly
relocating them to low-end dead-end jobs all over Canada.

This is a shockingly shallow, moralistic stance. But it has its
attractions for those who engage in it. The moralizer gets to quickly
write off and condemn a group and any individual in that group while
feeling smug and superior to those people. Such a good feeling, it's
probably addictive.

But when condemning "addicts" consider this: We as a society supply
licensed outlets for buying alcohol, certainly a gateway drug to other
drug use, while addiction to alcohol supplies horror and tragedy
enough on its own.

And we approve licensed and "safe" alcohol consumption sites, namely
pubs and bars. I don't see anybody rounding up the alcoholics.

Separating "street" drugs from alcohol is an artificial distinction.
Alcohol is freely available and promoted not because it's less "bad"
than street drugs but because of business interests, profit and tax
revenue, all of that based on illegal bootlegging businesses that
thrived in prohibition days.

Addiction isn't about right and wrong. Addiction is about pain and
brain chemistry. So let's get down off the high horse of
self-righteousness and extend a helping hand.

Diane McNally

Victoria