Pubdate: Thu, 19 Mar 2009
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Andy Snitzer

DEAD WRONG ON DRUGS

All this talk about longer jail terms and taking people's rights away 
in the interests of law enforcement seems based on the idea that the 
end justifies the means. What about when a mistake is made -- and 
they do happen.

What about taking the criminal out of the addiction to drugs and 
removing the profits, and the resulting fights for turf and deaths, 
from drug sales?

Stricter penalties only make the drugs more expensive, because the 
risk is greater. Treatment and safe injection sites are needed, not 
more jails. More places to live and lower rents. Harm reduction 
instead of the useless, expensive, futile battle against drugs.

Holland and other countries that have eased drug laws do not have 30 
or 40 drug-related gang deaths in the first two months of a new year.

We are forced to watch the same mistakes made over and over, ignoring 
what has proven effective and staying with policies that are 
obviously not working.

Andy Snitzer

Victoria
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom