COURAGE LACKING TO DEAL WITH THE CURSE OF ADDICTION

Re: It isn't balance when opinion runs as fact, Peter McKnight, May 12

I want to congratulate Peter McKnight on his excellent column. He
shows so clearly that the "study" by Colin Mangham is prejudiced and
blind to the reality about how to best respond to drug abuse.

As an individual who has worked and lived in what I tend to call the
crossroads between addiction, corrections and mental health for much
of my life, I was discouraged and shocked when I read about Mangham's
report. I was deeply disturbed by his misuse of the reality about
drug abuse and his one-sided approach.

If we have learned anything from the Americans it is that when
enforcement is the primary approach to this problem, only disaster results.

Unfortunately I doubt if we will ever have a government with either
the intelligence or the courage to truly "tackle" the situation by
legalizing all addictive substances, developing clear and enforceable
regulations as to the manufacture, quality and distribution of these
substances and as well banning all advertising that glamorize the use
of these destructive substances.

Only then will we, as a society, be able to truly "deal with" the
curse of addiction.

Only then will we be able to truly face the issues that turn our
citizens, our children, into addicts.

Bert Massiah

Vancouver