Pubdate: Sun, 29 Oct 2017
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2017 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Authors: John and Jennifer Hedican
Page: A11

SAFE SOURCE OF DRUGS WOULD SAVE LIVES

The question is not when our government will decriminalize personal
possession and provide a safe, clean drug source, as we do for alcohol
and soon for marijuana, but how many more families will be devastated
with the loss of a loved one before a government is brave enough to
value lives over votes.

By decriminalizing personal possession, we could start to get rid the
stigma that is associated with addiction. People are being poisoned
and dying due to a clean source not being available.

Research has shown that people can lead normal lives and positively
contribute to society if clean drugs are available.

Clean marijuana will be legal and offered for sale soon, just like
alcohol. Our oldest son, Ryan, first experimented with alcohol and
then marijuana. These gateway drugs led to him to using stronger
drugs, ending with heroin and his tragic death from fentanyl poisoning
on April 24.

How can our system legalize certain drugs and then when people become
addicted to stronger ones, they are treated as criminals for simple
possession?

We know what will make a difference: * Provide a safe, clean source
for opiates and other drugs. * Decriminalize personal possession, as
Portugal did. * End the stigma of addiction by treating it as the
disease it is, not as a choice.

These things can stop the horrific and inexcusable number of deaths in
our families.

Contact your MP and MLA to tell our governments to do these things,
and save lives, now.

John and Jennifer Hedican

Courtenay
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MAP posted-by: Matt