Pubdate: Tue, 05 May 2009
Source: Telegraph-Journal (Saint John, CN NK)
Copyright: 2009 Brunswick News Inc.
Contact: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/onsite.php?page=contact
Website: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2878
Author: Robert Sharpe

DRUG CLINICS CAN CUT ADDICTION

There is a middle ground between drug prohibition and blanket 
legalization. Switzerland's heroin maintenance program has been shown 
to reduce disease, death and crime among chronic users. Providing 
addicts with standardized doses in a clinical setting eliminates many 
of the problems associated with illicit heroin use. The success of 
the Swiss program has inspired heroin maintenance pilot projects in 
Canada, Germany, Spain, Denmark and the Netherlands.

If expanded, prescription heroin maintenance would deprive organized 
crime of a core client base. This would render illegal heroin 
trafficking unprofitable and spare future generations addiction.

Marijuana should be taxed and regulated like alcohol, only without 
the ubiquitous advertising. Separating the hard and soft drug markets 
is critical. As long as marijuana distribution is controlled by 
organized crime, consumers of the most popular illicit drug will 
continue to come into contact with sellers of addictive drugs like 
cocaine. Given that marijuana is arguably safer than legal alcohol, 
it makes no sense to waste tax dollars on failed policies that 
finance organized crime and facilitate hard drug use.

Drug policy reform may send the wrong message to children, but I like 
to think the children are more important than the message. To learn 
more about Canada's heroin maintenance research please visit: 
http://www.naomistudy.ca/

ROBERT SHARPE MPA Policy Analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy
Washington, DC 
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart