Pubdate: Tue, 09 Mar 2004 Source: Ladysmith-Chemanius Chronicle (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 BC Newspaper Group & New Media Contact: http://www.ladysmithchronicle.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1279 Author: Kevin Allan WHERE'S COMPASSION? Editor: In your article, "Small town facing 'big city' problem" March 2, RCMP Const. Scott Rintoul states, "What kind of message are we sending our kids with a safe injection site? We're normalizing drug use." How about a message of compassion? To have a substance abuse problem is bad enough but should you have to die because of it ? Because that is all a safe injection site does, is to save lives of those who use or abuse illicit street drugs that may not be safe because they are not quality controlled or regulated like the legal drug alcohol (the drug with the highest intoxication, the drug most dangerous to both the user/abuser and those around the user/abuser), a clear consequence of prohibition (much like moonshine with alcohol prohibition). We don't even have the death penalty in Canada. Why should we let the illicit drug addicts die needlessly when the alcohol drug addicts are more dangerous? Most addicts eventually quit as they get older. You have to be alive to quit. I say its compassion and that is a good message to send kids. The real question is what message does RCMP Const. Scott Rintoul send to the kids ? Kevin Allan North Vancouver - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin