Pubdate: Thu, 25 Mar 2010
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Libby Davies

'TOUGH ON CRIME' DRUG LAWS

Re: The war on drugs has become a war against us, March 23

The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS must be congratulated for 
its important study demonstrating that Canada's overemphasis on 
drug-law enforcement will not reduce drug supply or drug-related 
violence. Columnist Peter McKnight is right to point out that many 
governments have an illogical attachment to the "tough on crime" 
approach to drug use, and this study is an important call to 
policy-makers, who must start using evidence, not ideology, as the 
basis for laws.

I will take issue with McKnight's comment that the New Democratic 
Party has done little to oppose Bill C-15 calling for mandatory 
minimum sentences for drug crimes. The NDP strongly opposed this bill 
as ineffective and wasteful. We voted against it at second reading, 
at committee and at third reading. We didn't support the 
Conservatives bringing it back to the House after prorogation and 
will continue to oppose it if it comes back to Parliament.

Libby Davies

MP Vancouver East and NDP spokeswoman for drug policy
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart