DRUG-ARREST-FREE ZONES

Bob Unger's column, "The thinking behind a drug death story," (March
17) sadly misses the point.

Usually, there is a three-hour period between the time someone shows
signs of overdosing and when he or she dies. If the problem was a
heart attack or appendicitis, the patients would be rushed to the
hospital and be receiving medical care well within an hour. But with
overdose cases from abuse of illegal drugs, friends and the patient
are terrified of seeking help for fear of arrest and Draconian terms
of incarceration.

Hospital emergency wards should be made drug-arrest-free zones. The
only questions asked of the good Samaritans should relate to
information that will assist in treatment.

Robert Field

Co-Chair, Common Sense for Drug Policy

Lancaster