Pubdate: Thu, 27 Sep 2001
Source: Mission City Record (CN BC)
Copyright: 2001 The Mission City Record
Contact:  http://www.missioncityrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305
Author: Jenny Stevens
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

ADAMS SHOULD BE MORE UNDERSTANDING

Editor, The Record:

At the All Candidates meeting held on Sept. 18, Dave Adams included the 
remark "And now we have a methadone clinic" in his list of complaints about 
the current state of the downtown core.

A qualified pharmacist is filling prescriptions ordered by qualified 
physicians. Neither a pharmacist nor any other person has the right to 
countermand a physician's choice of medication for his patient. To 
represent a pharmacist's performance of his bounded duty as running 
"methadone clinic" is an inflammatory distortion of the facts.

Yes, drug dealers are criminals who should be hunted down and punished, 
particularly those who deliberately target our youngsters. Drug users 
though are victims of those criminals. They have at least recognized their 
need for help and should be encouraged not vilified.

Dave, it is distressing to hear you, a respected downtown businessman 
demonstrate such a lack of understanding of and compassion for these 
unfortunate individuals. If you have managed to go through life without one 
of your loved ones becoming caught in the drug net, you should be thanking 
God for your good fortune.

Jenny Stevens, Mission
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MAP posted-by: Jackl