FACTS NEEDED TO IMPROVE DRUG PROBLEM

It always seems to amaze me that we are willing to make our policies
based more on fears than on facts.

Recently it was announced by the federal government that it will get
tougher on those who sell drugs. At first glance this seems like a
proactive approach, but upon further review this might be a dangerous
solution to the drug trade.

First, according to a UN report, the drug trade is a
$400-billion-a-year industry. Canada's prohibition laws have created
an inflated worth for drugs. The consequence of this is organized
crime. We should have learned from the alcohol prohibition laws in the
United States that created mobster such as Al Capone. A drug dealer
can make up to a 20,000 per cent profit on his product. Cracking down
on drug dealers will only make the product more profitable; therefore,
it would not discourage drug dealers but only encourage them as they
are able to make a larger profit margin. This would also increase the
chance of violence among drug dealers as the risk is greater once caught.

Second, quite often those who are addicted to drugs have mental
illnesses. We are making criminals out of those who should be seeking
medical attention. We are not treating the cause of the problem but we
are only putting a Band-Aid on a dilemma that needs major treatment.
Up to 80 per cent of the cases within the court system are drug
related. It might be better idea to direct our resources to medical
help than it would be to increase our expenditures within our judicial
system.

I know that when it comes to illicit drugs there is no easy solution,
but we do need to look at the facts and make our decisions based on
them. There is a great fear that if drugs are made legal we will have
a greater problem with the abuse of them, but that might not be the
case. We could cut down on crime caused by those who need to seek out
money for the high prices of drugs. We could deal with the root cause
of the problem instead of a surface level solution. Also, we could cut
out on the violence that drug dealers cause by making their product
not as valuable and not worth the trouble fighting over.

Trent W. Derrick

Prince George