LIQUOR STORE DRUGS AREN'T THE ANSWER

Illegal drugs cause any number of problems in this country. Our overloaded
prison system is full of "criminals" charged with simple possession of
marijuana. Junkies commit crimes looking for ways to feed their habits.
Kids overdose on designer drugs. Biker gangs spill blood in their attempts
to control lucrative drug trades.

There are no easy or short-term solutions to these problems - it will take
a co-ordinated effort, as well as lots of money, by a multitude of agencies
if we want to even begin to get this problem under control.

Decriminalization of marijuana is a good first step. If that leads to
legalization, even better. This will finally put an end to misconception of
pot as a hard drug and open revenue streams for governments.

Hard drugs are another matter. Senator Ed Lawson, a member of the special
Senate committee reviewing Canada's anti-drug laws, recently suggested that
the government consider selling heroin and cocaine at liquor stores.

This is too easy a way out of a complex problem. Heroin and cocaine create
addicts, and no one wants to be a junkie. By giving users easy access it
does nothing to help get these people off the streets and on with life.

A better solution is provided by European countries, many of which have
government-funded safe-injection programs.

These facilities provide a secure and sterile environment staffed by
medical personnel where junkies can shoot up and/or access
addiction-treatment strategies. Addicts must register at the sites and
anyone who violates the rules of the program is subject to expulsion and
criminal charges.

This combination of enforcement with addiction treatment has proven very
successful and has led federal Health Minister Allan Rock to consider a
safe-injection site for Vancouver, thought by many to have the country's
worst drug problem.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among B.C. men 30 to 49 years
of age. If governments are serious about addressing this problem, they will
do more than simply feed their habits.