LOOK AT THE FACTS

In response to Vic Blake's letter in the Sun May 5: He states that he has
been in recovery for 24 years. Mr. Blake, let me start by saying
congratulations, but as a recovering addict you should know better. I too am
a recovering addict and have been drug-free for over two years, but you are
starting to sound like so many uninformed people out there.

I for one know that you are born an addict and do not become one simply
because one's drug of choice was legal (which in my case was prescription
medication). I do not believe that if marijuana is made legal that you will
have all these addicts walking around.

A person who has never used it before is not about to say "Wow, it is legal
now, let's get high." The fact is that it will stop leading all those
addicts to jail where getting help is a joke. It is time we stop playing on
people's fears and look at the facts. You ask any person on the street and
they will tell you that just because marijuana is legal they are not about
to light up. Let's start by educating people on the downside of drugs; let
the government sell it, tax the hell out of it and direct that money into
more treatment centres.

Dan Boucher

Nepean

(It's worth a shot)