Pubdate: Sat, 26 May 2007
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2007 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Bill Martin

DRUG LAWS ANTIQUATED

Re: Wrong on drugs, May 24.

The Free Press has it right on every count. It is wrong and foolish 
to spend money enforcing Canada's antiquated drug laws. It is hard to 
understand why the federal government is allocating even more money 
to an approach that clearly does not work.

It is time we began to treat drug abuse in exactly the same way we 
treat the abuse of alcohol and tobacco -- have government control the 
supply and educate. This approach has eradicated neither alcohol nor 
tobacco abuse but it has worked far better than prohibition and 
placing addicts in jail. Thankfully, no one is suggesting we initiate 
a war on tobacco or alcohol. The war analogy is useless and should be 
discarded when it comes to addictions.

The editorial says it well: "Treating drug use as a crime breeds 
crime and feeds crime and serves only to provide a lucrative income 
for criminal gangs that infest the nation's cities."

I would further say that our laws enable terrorists in places like 
Afghanistan -- endangering the lives of the men and women in the 
Canadian Forces.

Bill Martin

Gimli
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman