SMALL NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS HURTING MORE THAN THEMSELVES

To the editor:

In his letter to the editor ("Police priorities out of whack," Letters,
June 4), Kirk Tousaw of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association asserted that,
in contrast to a large number of traffic offenders who injure other people,
our society persecutes a smaller number of drug users who "principally hurt
themselves."

This is misleading. To support an illegal habit, many drug users resort to
crimes, such as auto theft, break and enter, shop lifting, fencing stolen
goods, purse snatching, mugging, etc. Their victims are always emotionally
and often physically hurt, with property damaged or lost.

Drug users also absorb more than their fair share of social services, such
as policing, welfare, first aid, ambulances, courts, etc. Therefore,
society at large is also hurt by these people, in picking up an expensive
tab to pay for some of its attempts to deal with the problem.

Glenn M. Hardie,
Vancouver