CAN YOU AFFORD U. S. DRUG POLICY?

Editor, The Hope Standard

Regarding Tom Fletcher's June 9th op-ed, safe injection sites have
been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use.
They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially hard
to reach population. Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. Look
no further than the United States for tragic examples of anti-drug
strategies that are best avoided. U.S. Centers for Disease Control
researchers estimate that 57 percent of AIDS cases among women and 36
percent of overall AIDS cases in the U.S. are linked to injection drug
use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This easily preventable
public health crisis is a direct result of zero tolerance laws that
restrict access to clean syringes. Can Canada afford to emulate the
harm maximization approach of the former land of the free and current
record holder in citizens incarcerated?

Robert Sharpe

MPA Policy Analyst Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington, DC 20012