DON'T JAIL ADDICTS, LEGALIZE DRUGS

A writer believes that "moral action" in regard to treating addiction
requires putting addicts in jail (Oct. 4). Jail is not one big
compassionate rehab facility. And drugs are available. Jails and
prisons run on their own economies and all you need is something to
trade.

All over the community, there are free groups of recovering addicts
and alcoholics voluntarily meeting in the interest of recovery.
Forcing anyone to clean up and sober up will never work.

The solution? Legalize everything and use all the wasted "war on
drugs" time and money to offer many more detox centres and beds.

Once people have time to look at something besides urgently scamming
together a plan to get the next drink or hit, and once people don't
have all their energy for the next 24 hours committed to thefts,
selling themselves or trying to exist with their apartments taken over
for a "business centre" by drug predators, paid in drugs, the detox
centres might see some customers who now have the time to see that
they have hit bottom.

Mighty plans made by "moral" people have no effect. If you want
change, take off the moral blinders.

Diane McNally

Victoria