Pubdate: Tue, 03 Oct 2000
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2000 The Province
Contact:  200 Granville Street, Ste. #1, Vancouver, BC V6C 3N3 Canada
Fax: (604) 605-2323
Website: http://www.vancouverprovince.com/
Author: Barry Joneson

'DON'T GIVE JUNKIES DRUGS'

Photo Caption (Photo of Anti-Drug rally) - Les Bazso, The Province / Safe 
injection rooms do nothing to get junkies permanently off drugs, says a 
recovering addict. Try treating them, instead.

I read the article in The Sunday Province concerning the clash between the 
factions for and against drug rooms.

The question I ask is how can society justify giving an addict free legal 
drugs and say such a move reduces the harm they suffer?

Because of the nature of the disease, addicts need an ever increasing 
amount of drugs to satisfy the beast within.

And if the safe-injection-room program won't give them enough to almost put 
them in an overdose (the state they must get to obtain the desired effect 
of the drug), they will seek additional drugs to satisfy the beast, much 
like they do now with the methadone maintenance program.

It is common knowledge that methadone maintenance doesn't work for most 
people - - and it is also common knowledge that although we have the needle 
exchange program, we have the highest rate of HIV in North America.

I have talked to hundreds of recovering addicts (like myself) and almost 
all agree these services are not in the best interest of those who still 
suffer.

These services not only cost the taxpayer a lot of money, they also 
guarantee addicts a comfortable lifestyle so they never have to face their 
destructive behaviour and take steps to turn their life around and become 
acceptable, responsible, productive members of society.

I truly believe I would never have found the courage to change if I had 
been given an endless supply of the poison that was killing me.

I can only hope and pray that the safe-injection rooms don't become a 
reality and that the money will go toward treating those who sincerely want 
help when they hit bottom.

Barry Joneson, Burnaby
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