Pubdate: Mon, 19 Jun 2000
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  GPO Box 3771, Sydney NSW 2001
Fax: +61-(0)2-9282 3492
Website: http://www.smh.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.fairfax.com.au/
Author: Peter Maresch
Note: Headline supplied by newshawk

NO LOGICAL ARGUMENT AGAINST TOUGHER LAWS

It seems to me that those in favour of "safe" injecting rooms either have 
an axe to grind (eg, from the Council for Civil Liberties) or are part of 
the touchy-feely, no-law-is-good-law brigade.

Let's face it. Sydney and Melbourne are experiencing the highest rate of 
crime in their history, largely due to the drug trade. Softening our 
attitudes to the problem cannot possibly save lives or lessen crime. Giving 
people a place where they can legally use narcotics removes one of the few 
deterrents to drug use.

If we opened more pubs would we assume alcohol consumption would decline? 
If we opened parks for dogs, would fewer owners be inclined to walk their 
pups? If there were "speeding lanes" on our freeways, would the traffic 
move more slowly?

There is no logical argument against tightening law enforcement on drugs. 
This is one issue we can't afford to leave to the bleeding hearts.

Peter Maresch, Lane Cove.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart