DRUG STRATEGY REPEATS OLD FAILURES

It would be wonderful to see a drug policy based on harm reduction
and research, but instead it's the same old tried and proven useless
"get tough" stuff.

The Conservative government's anti-drug strategy will work if their
objective is to fill prisons and further entrench organized crime in
our communities. Otherwise, why would our elected officials keep on
doing the same old things and expect different results?

We have good models for dealing with other addictive substances that
have enormously expensive and destructive social impacts.

Let's seriously consider controlling illicit drugs just as we do
tobacco and alcohol. That would divert billions of dollars from
organized crime, prisons and enforcement to intelligent treatment of
a public-health issue.

If the Conservatives would listen to their own experts, we would be
seeing a much more intelligent, evidence-based and humane drug
strategy for Canadians.

Jim Cooper,

Duncan