Pubdate: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: Leslie Benisz DRUG USE = SENSELESS I feel so bad for the close friends and family of 17-year-old Marissa Ginter who, from what I read in your newspaper, was a smart and beautiful talented young woman who would have gone on to accomplish great things. However, I can't also hide my feelings of anger at yet another senseless and tragic death because of illegal drugs and the sheer stupidity among those people who are willing to dance on the edge of danger for a wild but deadly trip to the dark side. How many more precious young people are going to die before enough of them wake and realize the fun and excitement of getting high and wasted is an illusion that leads to a life of addiction or lengthy prison terms and even death? As harsh as it might sound, I have a lot of respect for countries like Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, China and Singapore, which routinely execute drug traffickers and those in possession of large quantities of illegal narcotics. And if the Canadian government had such measures here, I wonder how many lives could be saved by ending those of people who continue to sell these satanic poisons to Canada's most precious resource, our children and adolescents. Leslie Benisz Vancouver - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom