PUBLIC FUNDS SHOULDN'T AID ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

In response to Ken Pole's article "B.C. drug centre challenges
international treaties" (the Medical Post, 11), I find myself in
agreement with the International Narcotics Control Board when it
suggests drugs should only be administered for "medical or scientific
purposes."

Therefore, I am less than pleased with our government's decision
announced by Dr. Hedy Fry to disburse $1.5 million of public money
(ours) to a centre espousing the administration of intravenous
narcotics to Vancouver addicts.

Dr. Fry explains the situation to us: "The lessons learned will
provide us with valuable insight into the value and effectiveness of
supervised injection sites in a harm-reduction strategy."

This is presumably directed at HIV/AIDS.

The present HIV/AIDS situation in Vancouver has much to do with
previous philosophy and events. Seventeen years ago we read about it
in the Globe & Mail (July 21, 1987) under the headline "CMA weighs
AIDS action."

Dr. Fry said she is also skeptical of tracing contacts of someone who
is infected. "Why chase contacts? What are you going to do with them?"
Dr. Fry said, noting that unlike most other communicable diseases,
there is no known cure for HIV/AIDS and no vaccine.

Dr. Fry's stated philosophy toward communicable disease containment
struck me as bizarre back then and I find her present philosophy
toward supervised "'harm-reduction" injection sites, free needles,
etc., no less so.

Meanwhile, back at the B.C. Centre for Excellence, in a recent
Canadian Medical Association Journal, the recipients of our largesse
have published a disparaging article concerning the Vancouver police
department's attempts to control the local illicit drug market (Wood
E, Spittal P M et al May 11, 2004, 170[10] 1551-1556).

One wonders if at times empathy for the addict may come dangerously
close to aiding and abetting an illegal activity.

Dr. James Parker, Abbotsford, B.C.