FINDING THE RIGHT APPROACH TO DRUGS

Re: The War On Drug Reform, editorial, May 6.

Your editorial conveys the theme of "U.S.A. bad/Drugs good." And you
seem shocked that Mexico is bowing to U.S. pressure not to allow the
legal possession of small amounts of drugs. Your editorial board
apparently feels that legalizing possession of small amounts of drugs
is a progressive social policy.

I was in Vancouver last week with a friend from El Salvador. We
walked across East Hastings Street between Gastown and Chinatown.
East Hastings Street is a very progressive part of Canada. Possession
of small amounts of drugs is tolerated and even encouraged -- at the
safe injection sites. In less than two minutes, we passed six
aggressive panhandlers, people loading crack pipes, one person
self-injecting, several people lying in filth in an alley, one
charming young woman relieving herself in the street and a whole lot
of people smoking funny-smelling roll-your-owns.

My friend from El Salvador commented,"I am an ex-CIA agent living in
the most dangerous country in the Western Hemisphere, and I have
never seen anything like this. Is all of Canada like this?" I'm from
conservative, redneck Alberta and I too was shocked.

If you want to experience real national pride in Canada's liberal
progressive society, I suggest that the National Post leave its ivory
tower in Toronto and take a trip down East Hastings and enjoy the all
the benefits of legalized drug use.

Dave Ritchie

Stony Plain, Alta.