'TOUGH ON CRIME' DRUG LAWS

Re: The war on drugs has become a war against us, March 23

The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS must be congratulated for
its important study demonstrating that Canada's overemphasis on
drug-law enforcement will not reduce drug supply or drug-related
violence. Columnist Peter McKnight is right to point out that many
governments have an illogical attachment to the "tough on crime"
approach to drug use, and this study is an important call to
policy-makers, who must start using evidence, not ideology, as the
basis for laws.

I will take issue with McKnight's comment that the New Democratic
Party has done little to oppose Bill C-15 calling for mandatory
minimum sentences for drug crimes. The NDP strongly opposed this bill
as ineffective and wasteful. We voted against it at second reading,
at committee and at third reading. We didn't support the
Conservatives bringing it back to the House after prorogation and
will continue to oppose it if it comes back to Parliament.

Libby Davies

MP Vancouver East and NDP spokeswoman for drug policy