I have long thought Glen Buchan a head above the crowd, and certainly beyond an ad hominid attack. It was therefore a disappointment to read his May First response to my letter about the Drug Awareness Committee. I have in fact spoken to representatives from the organization to which Buchan refers. I think it fair to say that membership in a committee does not always infer agreement with that committee's policies and tactics. In fact there seems to be gaps between what AADAC material I have read and some of the committees positions. [continues 259 words]
I note, with some wry amusement, that the The Fort Saskatchewan Drug Awareness Committee is in search of a logo and a slogan. I might suggest WCTU II, but I fear that the joke would be lost. It occurs to me that there are more substantive issues than slogans and logos, notably program content. If the performance of the Committee to date us any indication, it might well benefit from a little self education. The Committee seems to have little understanding or appreciation of such issues as context, harm reduction. evaluation, or ethics. While they claim to have some information about epidemiology they are reluctant to share such critical information as their data set, questionnaire design or research protocols, a fact which is in itself telling. Frankly, these things disturb me, moreover I am disturbed by City Council's apparent support of the Committee I am beginning to think that council is getting some bad advice. Dick Easton Fort Saskatchewan [end]
Fort Saskatchewan Record -- "Fighting Crystal Meth" reads the headline in a recent newspaper ad. It seems that the province of Alberta has undertaken to do something about the so-called Crystal Meth Problem in our province. Praise be, we's a gonna study the problem. We are told further that, "Crystal Meth is an inexpensive highly addictive and destructive drug." You can't argue with that, any more than you can argue that any motor vehicle is a 2,000 pound lethal weapon, and that they are responsible for hundreds of deaths every year. You will say "but that's different, it's not the car that's the problem it's how people use it." [continues 252 words]
The curtain has been lifted on the next act of the drug abuse amongst kids drama. Roles are changing as various agencies attempt to upstage each other. D.A.R.E is in danger of finding itself with smaller role as the Boys and Girls Club weighs in with a new script. In fairness to Executive Director Wendy Serink and her agency the new script has much to recommend it. Serink's is the first attempt to define, and even quantify the scope of the problem. to date assumed, problem. The B and G Club has gone back to the kids and asked them what they are doing, a novel approach indeed. One that is much more reasonable and intelligent then the largely anecdotal evidence we have seen to date. [continues 255 words]
Fort Saskatchewan Record -- Our MP, Ken Epp, is poking under the bed with a broom looking for the bogey man while the house burns around him. Consider: His ill informed position on cannabis flies in the face of what we know to be true, that attempts at controlling substance abuse by legislation generally fail. That drug abuse is a health issue not a legal issue. That decriminalization will reduce profit, and lessen the motive to traffic and redirect limited police resources to more important areas, and reduce levels of ancillary crime that occur as a result of any illegal activity. [continues 212 words]
In a recent editorial Mr. Kindred expressed concern about plans to create "safe use sites" for drug users. Kindred argues that addiction results from "life style choices' and that there is no reason why we should cater to the addict. So what? It's a fluke of history that cigarettes are legal and heroine is not. It would be extraordinarily difficult to find a single drug which is harmful to the user and his society that nicotine. The government in recognition of that fact, has chosen a concert of strategies designed to reduce the number of smokers in the population. The grim reaper is, of course, doing his part. The model might be called a harm reduction approach, we make it more difficult for people to smoke, provide assistance to those who wish to quit and we educate the young potential smoker. [continues 131 words]
Dick Easton, Fort Saskatchewan I note, with dismay, a recent plaintive call for financial support from Strathcona County reeves for the DARE program. There seems to be a hope that fear and superstition will win out over rational thought. DARE is a commercial for profit program designed for the population of a large American urban area. It is generally regarded by professionals as being, at best, problematic. "One school-based universal prevention program meets the criteria for Does Not Work: Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE. [continues 351 words]
