Pubdate: Fri, 30 Dec 2011
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2011 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html
Website: http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Robert Marcogliese
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n742/a05.html

SAFE-INJECTION SITES: YES OR NO?

Re: "Injection sites our moral imperative"  (Gazette, Dec. 29).

It is quite appropriate that, at this specific time of the year, 
columnist Henry Aubin comes out in favour of properly staffed 
Montreal injection sites for drug users, even though the use of such 
drugs is illegal. Indeed, there is precedence for such action within 
our city and province.

We all know that drinking combined with driving is bad, indeed 
illegal, if the driver's blood contains too much alcohol, and that 
this is more likely to occur at this time of the year, when parties 
and family gatherings may lead to excessive drinking. But rather than 
just condemn the practice since it is illegal, society has come up 
with a means of dealing with the problem: Operation Nez Rouge, a 
program in which potential drivers who have consumed too much alcohol 
are driven home by sober volunteers. By Dec. 24 this year, 51,602 
Quebecers had availed themselves of this service.

Quebecers care about others, and if the over-drinking problem cannot 
be solved, at least we have addressed the possible harmful effects of 
that problem.

Drug users should expect that same concern, yearlong.

Robert Marcogliese

Montreal
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom