CRACK SMOKERS FEEL FREE TO OVERRUN THE CITY

On Tuesday about 6:50 p.m., I boarded the westbound SkyTrain at
Metrotown to return home from work, as usual. Only, this time, a few
stops later, a young woman walked past me toward the back of the car
and asked the person sitting in the "driver" seat if she could have
the seat. The young man gave it up, and she proceeded to smoke crack
right there, her back to the rest of the passengers.

I'm willing to consider that severe drug addiction should be treated
medically rather than criminally, but this illustrates why the
treatment can't be on an outpatient basis.

Vancouver needs to make up its mind who is going to hold the turf.
You can't tell me that this woman would have been so bold if there
were any serious consequences to her actions.

The Downtown Eastside is overrun with intravenous drug users. It used
to be a thriving, fun part of the city. Now it is hell, run by
would-be patients who can never be treated while they are allowed to
suffer their illness in public.

Peter Collins

Vancouver