WAR ON DRUGS DOOMED

The conservative minority government in Ottawa is trotting out
another old policy warhorse that will surely please the party's base
voter constituency - yet another war on drugs.

Health Minister Tony Clement's latest offensive will entail stiffer
penalties for drug offenders and more money to stop drugs from
getting across the border. There will also be a massive campaign to
warn young people not to use drugs.

What is missing is more funding to provide detox services to help
those hooked on drugs to get straightened out.

And what's missing is any effort to halt the source of illicit drugs
in the first place.

Simply running ads that say taking drugs is bad will have little impact.

People from all walks of life, rich and poor, educated and
illiterate, can succumb to the ravages of drug addiction.

Either address the sources of the illicit drug trade or beef up
treatment services, but sitting on the fence and doing neither won't
accomplish very much.