THE WRONG WAY TO FIGHT DRUGS

Re: A Better Way To Fight The Drug War, Lorne Gunter, Oct. 3.

Lorne Gunter's intelligent and timely column on Canada's new drug war
was regrettably marred by its moralistic conclusion. Treating addicts
as pariahs, left to fend for themselves and deal with their
addictions, is public policy as bad as the Tories' imminent get-tough
war on drugs. If legalized drugs were controlled and taxed by the
state, we would generate a several hundred million dollar per year
fiscal dividend, to finance the negative outcomes that invariably
arise (like addictions), for which we already pay the price.
Moreover, we would generate the funds needed to properly fund
prevention, harm reduction and targeted police suppression efforts.

This is the model we already employ with two other drugs we consider
socially acceptable -- alcohol and nicotine delivered in tobacco
products -- that collectively kill 50,000+ Canadians every year. If,
as Mr. Gunter advocates, drug abusers should be forced to confront or
cover the economic costs of their choices, perhaps he believes
smokers and alcoholics with negative health outcomes ought to be
added to the list of social outcasts, too? Let's treat drug addiction
for what it really is: a public health problem, requiring a sound
public health solution.

Michael C. Chettleburgh, author of Young Thugs: Inside the Dangerous
World of Canadian Street Gangs, Toronto.