Pubdate: Thu, 30 Aug 2007
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 The Calgary Sun
Contact:  http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1008/a08.html
Author: Brian Purdy
Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor.

ENABLING ADDICTS MISGUIDED

Usually I agree with Sun editorials, but not "Drug prohibition 
doesn't work" Aug. 28.). Jeremy Loome's call for legalization of hard 
drugs and continuation of the addict enabling program called "harm 
reduction" is misguided. Legalization means the government will 
become your heroin and cocaine dealer. It is not only an unseemly 
role for any government, it will inevitably corrupt government, which 
becomes addicted to the money to be made from the drug addicts it 
supplies. It will also greatly increase use of those drugs. Loome 
claims less than 2% of the population has a problem with hard drugs. 
I suggest that would become 10% or more if heroin and cocaine were 
freely available at your neighbourhood government cocaine store. The 
only way to cure a junkie is to separate him from the drugs. Jail 
does that, or it would if the jails were properly run. Enabling and 
encouraging addictive drug use is foolish and destructive.

Brian Purdy

(It's a controversial topic.)
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom