Pubdate: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2008 The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.globeandmail.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Adam Newman, MD Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08.n683.a02.html THE INSIDE DOPE ON DRUGS As a physician who has treated injection drug users for eight years, I disagree that harm reduction is a failure when it comes to reducing drug use and addiction. This is like decrying the use of Band-Aids because they don't prevent cuts. As long as governments spend their money on "the War on Drugs," addiction will remain a problem. To continue the metaphor, it's like promoting a "War on Sharp Objects" to prevent people cutting themselves. Insofar as anything can be said to "cause" addiction, the fact that most of my patients have experienced child abuse, neglect and poverty suggests these would be more worthy of prevention, rather than pouring money into prosecuting and punishing people who are already struggling with a problem that appears to be based in brain chemistry. Adam Newman, MD Kingston, Ont - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin