SUPPORTS SAFE INJECTION SITES

I respectfully disagree with your editorial on Canada's medically
supervised drug injection site. At some point in time America will come to
realize that bringing drug use and abuse out into the open will be better
than waging a counterproductive drug war.

You're worried about Canada passing out needles but only five U.S. states
require a prescription to buy hypodermic needles.

The experience of states such as Minnesota and Connecticut that have
deregulated needle sales consistently show a decrease in needle sharing;
and a reduction in new hepatitis and HIV infections after syringe sales are
deregulated.

In Switzerland the injection sites have worked so well that the programs
are extended until 2009. Most of their addicts have gone back to work,
major reductions in crime are witnessed and reduced street drug dealing has
been noticed, which lowers the availability of drugs to teens.

As our country moves further into deficit spending and our states slash
budgets to make ends meet, we should take every opportunity to save tax
monies. The cost to the public for each new hepatitis and HIV case is
phenomenal and is passed on to Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security
disability.

The drug injection sites will save tax monies, increase public health, save
the lives of society's innocent non drug user and is the compassionate
conservative policy to adopt.

Kim Hanna

Worcester, Mass.