Pubdate: Wed, 29 Apr 2015
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Mae Burrows
Page: 21

NEW DRUG STRATEGY IS NEEDED

I don't support people using drugs, but the "war on drugs" isn't 
working. If drugs were regulated or decriminalized, and addiction 
were treated as a health problem, gang related activities would 
disappear. Black markets and gangsters flourish under prohibition.

It is lame to blame parents. Addiction has many causes. Sometimes 
it's related to lifestyle, sometimes genetics. Often people start 
using drugs to self-medicate for an undiagnosed mental-health issue 
like anxiety, depression or ADHD. Once hooked up with illegal 
suppliers, it's hard to break the secrecy of underground 
relationships. We need a different approach than prohibition.

Mae Burrows, Burnaby
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom