TORY POLICY TROUBLING

I am deeply troubled by the "new" regressive Tory drug policy.

The Conservatives are planning to adopt Ronald Reagan-style drug
policies in a futile attempt to fight the scourge of illegal drugs.

This is a war that is not winnable on the supply side. People who
argue that the only way to win the war on drugs is to put people
behind bars should look to the U.S. Its prisons are overflowing with
people caught using or possessing drugs. Yet, the drug problems its
communities face are getting worse.

The only way to win a drug war is on the demand side. Currently, of
the $500 million spent in Canada fighting the drug war, 90 per cent
is spent on enforcement and only 10 per cent on education, treatment,
and other harm-reduction strategies. This is obscene.

The police and court systems have a vested interest in ramping up the
war on drugs. They know that if Canada adopted more liberal drug
policies, they would be out of a job.

People should have the right to put any substance into their bodies
they'd like, as long as they act responsibly while high. Punish those
individuals who act irresponsibly and dangerously when they're using drugs.

To learn the facts from irrefutable, scientific sources, visit the
website www.drugwarfacts.org .

Paul Martel

Peace River