Pubdate: Thu, 06 Nov 2008
Source: Prince George Free Press (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 BC Newspaper Group
Contact:  http://www.pgfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2135
Author: Russell Barth
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n1005/a04.html

HANDOUT GOOD IDEA

Editor:

RE: Crack-Pipe Handout a crackpot idea, Free Press, November
5.

Handing out crack pipes reduces the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS
and Hep C - diseases that the taxpayers have to pay to treat.

If your kid was living on the street, would you rather have them
sharing pipes and contracting these deadly and wildly expensive
diseases? Or would you rather they use a fresh pipe and at least lower
their risk? Bad enough they are smoking crack, but why add injury upon
injury by forcing them to share pipes? Especially when the cost of
treating those illnesses comes out of your pocket!

That said, what we should be doing is opening clinics to give out free
coke, meth, and heroin. When made by professional labs, these drugs
are about as safe as alcohol or dozens of other medications that
Canadians use every day, and about as cheap as aspirin. Okay, so some
"addicts" will still be using drugs, but they wouldn't have to do
crimes for money, they wouldn't be spreading diseases that we all have
to pay for, and they wouldn't be using street drugs, they would be
using medications. Free drugs for addicts would reduce the spread of
diseases, reduce crime, free up police resources, and rob the
crack-houses of their customers. So why are we not doing it?

Russell Barth

Federally Licensed Medical Marijuana User
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin