FREE HEROIN FITS WITH CULTURE OF VICTIMHOOD

Re: Free heroin (NEWS Views, Feb. 9).

Free heroin - why not? If one makes any derogatory comment against the
"homeless" or "drug addicts" or certain ethnic groups who seem to make up
most of the known gangs, one is branded as being uncaring, non-empathic,
racist, elitist and the beat goes on.

Suppose we give free alcohol to alcoholics such as I? Is this supposed to
wean them off their self-imposed hell? No way in hell will free drugs and
free booze plus the multitude of declared "experts" in the field who are
paid at our expense, save even one poor soul.

There seems to be an aversion, in the judicial ranks, in handing out
sentences which include mandatory and supervised drug and alcohol
treatment. This of course means random urine tests and failure means
re-incarceration with more treatment.

As a society, we are deluding ourselves if we think that anything short of
hard treatment will solve or help to solve the curse of addiction. As an
adjunct, we are not helping those who need it most.

Harry B. Battle

Maple Ridge