Letter 1 Of 5

NO QUICK FIXES

Some Readers Think Helping Addicts Out Of The Abyss Is Better Than Enabling
Them To Make Drug Suppliers Rich

Articles in The Sun last week were illuminative on several related points:
When Vancouver mayoral hopeful Jennifer Clarke was reported as describing
the Vancouver police department as dysfunctional, the term seemed a might
strong; however, the pronouncements of Sergeant Al Arsenault illustrate Ms.
Clarke's point. One wonders if the good sergeant wouldn't be of more
service to the city in the traffic division, or perhaps at the jail.

Richard Patton follows with a truly insightful essay about the condition of
the Downtown Eastside (The richest neighbourhood in town, Insight, Oct. 26).

I beg to continue the thread with the following: We have chosen to consign
the production and marketing of narcotics to the global underworld. As long
as we continue to do so, the ravages visited on all of us by the world of
drugs will not ameliorate in any city no matter what remedial schemes we
concoct. Indeed, it will worsen.

George Pratt

Vancouver