Pubdate: Thu, 08 May 2003
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Dyan Siegl
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n662/a07.html

DRUG CRACKDOWN CONNECTION IS SLOPPY SCIENCE

Statisticians and folks committed to evidenced-based practice must have 
cringed when they read the May 6 article, "Police crackdown has cut drug 
use, expert doctor says." The claim that a causal relationship exists 
between the police crackdown on drug dealers in the Downtown Eastside and 
an increase in those seeking methadone treatment is seriously flawed. It is 
sloppy science and dangerously misleading to base a causal relationship on 
anecdotal evidence collected in some unexplained fashion, by one individual 
at one clinic, and without considering the multiple confounding variables 
influencing drug use and treatment seeking by intravenous drug users.

The same applies to another claim in the article. Suggesting that fewer 
people in cocaine psychosis are picking at their skin and crawling on the 
streets is an indicator of success of the police crackdown is equally 
flawed and quite silly. Correlation perhaps, but it's still too early to 
even suggest that.

Readers, beware!

Dyan Siegl

Registered Nurse

Vancouver
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MAP posted-by: Alex