Injecting Drugs Is Unpleasant and Dangerous, but Drug Prohibition Makes It Worthwhile for Addicts, Writes Dan Gardner. The United Nations and national governments the world over, including Canada's, are actively promoting an epidemic. They are infecting people by the tens and hundreds of thousands. God knows how many will die. A report released this week by the Global Commission on Drug Policy isn't quite that blunt, but it comes close. "The global war on drugs is driving the HIV/AIDS pandemic among people use who drugs and their sexual partners," it concludes. "Throughout the world, research has consistently shown that repressive drug law enforcement practices force drug users away from public health services and into hidden environments where HIV risk becomes markedly elevated. Mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders also plays a major role in increasing HIV risk. ... The war on drugs has also led to a policy distortion whereby evidence-based addiction treatment and public health measures have been downplayed or ignored." [continues 933 words]
When Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth introduced a private member's bill on the status of the fetus last week, the government was expected to distance itself. But when Conservative whip Gordon O'Connor stood to deliver the government line, he did far more than that. "I can confirm that as a member of the Conservative caucus for nearly eight years, the prime minister has been consistent with his position on abortion," O'Connor said. "As early as 2005 at the Montreal convention, and in every federal election platform since, he has stated that the Conservative government will not support any legislation to regulate abortion. While the issue may be debated by some, as in the private member's motion here tonight, I state again that the government's position is clear: It will not reopen this debate." [continues 901 words]
It's Time For Canada To Take A Sober Look At New Policies On the weekend, at the Summit of the Americas, Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed doubt about the war on drugs. "I think what everybody believes and agrees with, and to be frank myself, is that the current approach is not working, but it is not clear what we should do." It's admirable for a politician to admit uncertainty. And rare. Especially for a politician who has never expressed anything less than unshakable conviction in the Reaganite nostrums of drug prohibition. But Harper had good reason to be a little shaken. [continues 1098 words]
Last weekend's Americas summit may have marked a historic turn away from the colossal waste of decades of failed drug policy, writes DAN GARDNER. On the weekend, at the Summit of the Americas, Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed doubt about the war on drugs. "I think what everybody believes and agrees with, and to be frank myself, is that the current approach is not working, but it is not clear what we should do." It's admirable for a politician to admit uncertainty. And rare. Especially for a politician who has never expressed anything less than unshakable conviction in the Reaganite nostrums of drug prohibition. But Harper had good reason to be a little shaken. [continues 1099 words]
Many people hate the idea of clinics where people can inject illicit drugs under the supervision of nurses and counsellors. Others want them set up immediately. They include the University of Toronto researchers who recommended this week that supervised injection sites be opened in Toronto and Ottawa. Which view is more popular varies from place to place. A recent Forum Research poll found that there was even considerable variation within the city of Toronto, with a strong majority of people (62 per cent) in the downtown core in favour, while people further out are just as strongly opposed. [continues 945 words]
Many people hate the idea of clinics where people can inject illicit drugs under the supervision of nurses and counsellors. Others want them set up immediately. They include the University of Toronto researchers who recommended this week that supervised injection sites be opened in Toronto and Ottawa. Which view is more popular varies from place to place. A Forum Research poll found considerable variation within the city of Toronto, with a majority of people (62 per cent) in the downtown core in favour while people farther out are just as strongly opposed. That's life in a diverse country. If we insist on applying public policies universally, that's a problem. We will never entirely erase our disagreements, no matter how much we talk, argue and shout. And so, inevitably, when a policy is implemented, or blocked, people in some places will feel that people elsewhere have imposed their views on them. [continues 532 words]
Many people hate the idea of clinics where people can inject illicit drugs under the supervision of nurses and counsellors. Others want them set up immediately. They include the University of Toronto researchers who recommended this week that supervised injection sites be opened in Toronto and Ottawa. Which view is more popular varies from place to place. A recent Forum Research poll found that there was even considerable variation within the city of Toronto, with a strong majority of people (62 per cent) in the downtown core in favour, while people further out are just as strongly opposed. [continues 948 words]
Supposedly An Ardent Decentralist, This PM Certainly Is Bent On Centralizing What He Wants To Control The Gardner key to understanding Stephen Harper's federalism is heroin. Got your attention? Good. The word "oefederalism" tends to put people to sleep, but this is important stuff so I'll try to sex it up. Hence, heroin. There's lots of it in Vancouver's benighted downtown eastside, as there has been for decades. Law enforcement and social services tried everything they could think of to get rid of the drugs and the crime and the social blights. But things only got worse. [continues 906 words]
The Gardner key to understanding Stephen Harper's federalism is heroin. Got your attention? Good. The word "federalism" tends to put people to sleep, but this is important stuff so I'll try to sex it up. Hence, heroin. There's lots of it in Vancouver's benighted downtown eastside, as there has been for decades. Law enforcement and social services tried everything they could think of to get rid of the drugs and the crime and the social blights. But things only got worse. [continues 915 words]
You can't kill a zombie with a pen. Jab it in the eye. Spear it in the chest. It will just keep shuffling along, moaning and snarling and trying to eat your brain. Here comes one now. "To think that marijuana today is the same benign thing, or, you know, the drug that the baby boomers used to take in the 1960s, '70s, '80s, it's totally false." That's Sgt. Pat Poitevin talking. He's a Mountie who works in "drug awareness" and he made that comment in an interview with CTV News, which aired a series of alarming stories about "potent pot" last week. [continues 983 words]
In a sense, it's perfectly reasonable that the government is severely restricting the amount of time Parliament can spend discussing a long list of complex bills that have appeared at various times in various forms in the past and will now, thanks to the Conservative majority, finally become law. The government ignored informed criticisms before. It will ignore them now. So why bother? Wrap things up quickly, turn off the lights, and the government will at least save a few dollars that can be put toward future purchases of gazebos. [continues 778 words]
Let's compare and contrast statements about Insite, the supervised injection centre in Vancouver's downtown eastside neighbourhood. "The decision to implement a supervised safe injection site was the result of years of research, planning, and intergovernment co-operation," the Supreme Court of Canada wrote in a unanimous judgment. "It was launched as an experiment. The experiment has proved successful. Insite has saved lives and improved health. And it did those things without increasing the incidence of drug use and crime in the surrounding area." [continues 808 words]
Earlier this month, a panel of eminent persons released a report calling on the world's governments to dramatically change how they deal with illicit drugs. "The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world," concluded the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The 19 members of the commission include former presidents of Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, as well legendary former United States Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, former Canadian Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, and former secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, George Shultz. But for those who know the history of the war on drugs, and the central role played by the United Nations, the most striking name on the list is that of Kofi Annan. [continues 988 words]
It's Time Our Leaders Paid Attention to the 'Naysayers' On Thursday, a panel of eminent persons released a report calling on the world's governments to dramatically change how they deal with illicit drugs. "The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world," concluded the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The 19 members of the commission include former presidents of Colombia, Mexico and Brazil, as well legendary former United States Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, former Canadian Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, and former secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, George Shultz. But for those who know the history of the war on drugs, and the central role played by the United Nations, the most striking name on the list is that of Kofi Annan. [continues 969 words]
Once again, former UN officials and world leaders have come forward to challenge the hopeless drug policies of current UN officials and world leaders, writes Dan Gardner On Thursday, a panel of eminent persons released a report calling on the world's governments to dramatically change how they deal with illicit drugs. "The global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world," concluded the Global Commission on Drug Policy. The 19 members of the commission include former presidents of Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, as well legendary former United States Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, former Canadian Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, and former secretary of state under Ronald Reagan, George Shultz. But for those who know the history of the war on drugs, and the central role played by the United Nations, the most striking name on the list is that of Kofi Annan. [continues 983 words]
A scene that said much about Prime Minister Stephen Harper unfolded recently in the Supreme Court of Canada. At a hearing about Insite, the supervised drug-injection site in Vancouver, a lawyer representing the federal government acknowledged the facility had been granted a federal exemption from drug laws under a clause that permits scientific study. Insite is an experiment, in other words. "And it worked," observed Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. A long list of scientific research papers in prestigious, peer-reviewed medical journals showed Insite had done exactly what it was designed to do. Overdose deaths down. Rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection down. "Lives are being saved, diseases are being prevented by this site, and are we putting too fine a point on it by saying the site has nothing to do with it?" McLachlin asked the federal lawyer. [continues 689 words]
A scene that said much about Prime Minister Stephen Harper unfolded last week at the Supreme Court of Canada. At a hearing about Insite, the supervised injection site in Vancouver, a lawyer representing the government acknowledged the facility had been granted a federal exemption from drug laws under a clause that permits scientific study. Insite is an experiment, in other words. "And it worked," observed Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. A long list of scientific research papers published in prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals showed that Insite had done exactly what it was designed to do. Overdose deaths down. Rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection down. [continues 698 words]
A scene that said much about Prime Minister Stephen Harper unfolded last week at the Supreme Court of Canada. At a hearing about the legal status of Insite, the supervised injection site in Vancouver, a lawyer representing the federal government acknowledged the facility had been granted a federal exemption from drug laws under a clause that permits scientific study. Insite is an experiment, in other words. "And it worked," observed Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. A long list of scientific research papers published in prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals showed that Insite had done exactly what it was designed to do. Overdose deaths down. Rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection down. [continues 829 words]
The Much-publicized Lurch To The Right Isn't Supported By What Canadians Actually Think About The Issues, Writes Dan Gardner. If you're a fan of Stephen Harper, please move along. I hope that's not rude. It's just that right now I want to talk to people who wish, as I do, that Stephen Harper would try his hand at another line of work. Something better suited to his talents and temperament. Tax auditor, perhaps. Or Mafioso. Something of that sort. [continues 1018 words]
Please allow me to put in print what an awful lot of Latin American politicians would like to say to their Canadian colleagues: You know how the illicit drug trade has plagued the countries of Latin America for decades? You know how it spreads corruption, undermines governance, and distorts economies? You know how it stacks corpses like cordwood? You know the carnage happening in Mexico right now? More than 26,000 people dead? You know all that? Good. Because you are responsible. [continues 844 words]
