CRACK-COCAINE USE IS OPEN

Re: Aiding addicts, April 23.

I am surprised by the Citizen editorial that disputes that open
crack-cocaine use in Ottawa is common.

The editorial said, "It's also a good idea to keep things in
perspective. "A crack pipe left on your front porch is shocking. But
look at it this way: It's still uncommon enough to be shocking."

The editorial is missing the point. The downtown residents aren't
shocked, they are saddened by the sight of teenagers from the suburbs
and vulnerable local residents being sucked into a spiral of cheap drug use.

If you live downtown it doesn't take long to become an expert at
spotting the passage of money from donor to panhandler to drug
dealer. This is partly because drug dealing is now so common that the
dealers hardly bother to hide their actions as they swap the crumbs
of crack for a few coins -- literally for pocket change.

Andrew Gibbs,

Ottawa