HARM REDUCTION IS THE ONLY WAY SOLUTION

Re: "The Harper government is fighting the wrong fight with Insite,"
(Alberni Valley Times, Jan. 18)

Shayne Morrow's Jan. 18 column was right on target.

Harm reduction intervention's like Vancouver's Insite safe injection
site have been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing
drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an
especially hard to reach population.

Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. Look no further than the
United States for tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are
best avoided.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57% of AIDS
cases among women and 36% of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked
to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs.

This preventable public health crisis is a direct result of
zero-tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes.

Can Canada afford to emulate the harm maximization approach of the
former land of the free and current record-holder in citizens
incarcerated?

Robert Sharpe

Washington, DC