EN ROUTE TO RED LIGHT HELL

Editor:

I read with interest the comments by Black Press columnist Tom
Fletcher regarding Victoria's plan for an injection site ('Nothing
safe about plan,' June 8).

What bothers me is the direction we seem to be taking to address a
progressive health issue, with an if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"
syndrome.

The evaluation summary for the first year of Vancouver's safe
injection site came out last September. There is a 330-page report on
four European cities in regards to drug overdose information available.

I am curious as to how many involved" people have done any study on
these reports. Vancouver's site is supposed to be a three-year
clinical trial.

My stepsister was a drug addict/prostitute and became Calgary's ninth
murder victim of 2004.

Diagnosed as being bipolar, her soft drugs" turned to hard drugs," and
even with family intervention, she couldn't get the medical help she
desperately needed.

Her hungry children slept on cold water beds and in unheated cars in
the dead of Edmonton winters while she followed a destructive path.
This was not a choice, it was an addiction and a mental illness issue.

Her fifth child died from serious health problems resulting from this
addiction. This child's ashes were lost during another move.We look
towards Europe and the Netherlands to study their drug and prostitute
policies.

We are sending our politicians there.

Amsterdam has a red light district that includes prostitution,
pornography, coffee shops" offering various cannabis products and
smart drug" that offers magic mushrooms.

The street dealers are still there and degradation of women prevails.
Switzerland's drinking age is 14, the Netherlands' is 16. Will we also
follow that?

We are spending $4 billion a year to treat tobacco-related illness,
and a B.C. law is being fought to make the tobacco companies
responsible.

How soon before a law is introduced to hold these injections sites
responsible for deteriorating health issues of their clients?

Drug dealers are not going to go away nice and quietly with
decriminalization or legalization, no matter what the argument.

Crystal meth is becoming prevalent among our teens, and these dealers
see a golden opportunity.

And although the four pillar policy is a good start, more study needs
to be done before we proceed with opening other injection sites.
Canadians are losing sight of priorities. We seem to be heading to
hell (or some type of red light district) in a hand basket, and B.C.
is eager to lead the way.

Sharlene Klein

Kamloops