AN OPINION OF AN OPINION

I would like to comment on two recent columns that appeared in the
Opinion section of the Mirror.

"A desperate search for excellence" by Alistair Taylor was well
written, thoughtful and to the point. However, don't blame the
politicians. Society itself is to blame for letting the drug problem
spiral out of control since the 1960's. The acceptance of the use of
marijuana and LSD back then has led to where we are today, with usage
now starting at a much younger age.

The other item titled "War on drugs doomed" is a typical smear of the
Conservative government. The announced plan is long on education.
Education is the absolute first line of prevention. A course on the
dangers of drug usage should be taught at every grade, weekly.

It also wants those who grow, manufacture, produce and sell illegal
drugs to pay a much higher price from their efforts. Just look at what
the courts do to those convicted of having grow-ops. A slap on the
wrist, don't do it again and back on the streets. Some deterrent!

You can have all the fancy programs you want, such as needle exchange
and safe injection sites. These are only band aids, and just prevent
addicts dying of diseases or infections before drug use kills them.
The former Mayor of Vancouver, Phillip Owen, is upset that such ideas
are not being funded in perpetuity. He must think a box of band aids
is the only solution.

One should also be aware that "programmes" are not the same as
"treatment."

What is needed and I'm sure everyone would agree are:

- - Treatment and rehabilitation centres that deal with both drug usage
and mental illness.

- - Job skill training and placement

- - Safe housing

- - Follow up counseling and continued education

- - Funding to properly maintain a complete rehabilitation

One thing I didn't include was a mechanism that forces an addict to
enter treatment, and stay in it.

At present the addict has the "right" to refuse treatment and use any
method to support his habit. He may break the law to get the money,
but he cannot be forced to seek and get "treatment."

If addicts were forced to get treatment, you would hear such terms are
"unconstitutional, labour camps, ghettos, concentration camps, and
imprisonment without cause" bandied about.

If you cut off demand, suppliers would all but disappear. But society
has yet to take up that challenge. We accept illegal drug usage, we
accept mild penalties for producing and selling drugs, we accept the
right to refuse treatment, and most won't accept personal
responsibility for allowing the problem to grow. If you want to vastly
reduce this problem, go stand in front of a mirror, and think.

Think about the sinking of the Queen of the North. The Transportation
Safety Board has revealed crew members smoking marijuana "off duty"
while at sea. A crew at sea is never really off duty just in case
there is an emergency.

JOHN THOMPSON,

Campbell River