COMMON-SENSE ALTERNATIVE

RE: "SAFE injection anything but," by Andrew Hanon, Jan. 21.

Safe injection sites have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV without
increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an
especially hard-to-reach population. Unfortunately, they do absolutely
nothing to undermine the illicit heroin trade.

For a common-sense alternative to the never-ending drug war, look to
Europe. Switzerland's heroin maintenance trials have been shown to reduce
drug-related disease, death and crime among chronic users. Addicts would
not be sharing needles if not for zero-tolerance laws that restrict access
to clean syringes, nor would they be committing crimes if not for
artificially inflated black market prices. The success of the Swiss trials
has led to pilot heroin maintenance programs in Germany, Spain and the
Netherlands.

If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized crime
of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin trafficking
unprofitable and spare future generations from addiction.

Robert Sharpe

(There's lots of opinions on drug policy.)