Pubdate: Sun, 28 Oct 2007
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Province
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Leslie Gilkinson

EDUCATION BEFORE ENFORCEMENT

Although The Province's story of the slain drug dealers sounds 
straight out of an action movie, it would be naive of me to say I was 
surprised to see people openly smoking crack cocaine in Surrey.

The sad truth is that there are addicts all over. I've seen people 
openly smoking crack downtown.

Though the RCMP have been "running around pretty hard" in Surrey 
fighting the war against drugs, I'm compelled to state the obvious: 
Instead of just arresting the dealers, how about promoting education 
about getting clean and offering counselling and rehab to those in 
desperate need?

Criminalizing those associated with drugs doesn't solve the bigger problem.

Leslie Gilkinson, Vancouver
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom