Monday, January 7, 2008

Cure to the drug problem

The Ontario provincial government has found a cure for drug addiction. Give the addict more drugs!

The Government announced that they will fund a "needle exchange programme" for IV drug users, a program that Ottawa councillors rejected. The province and the special interest groups that lobby them see the issue as a public health one and therefore see free needles as curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The city, on the other hand, sees the issue as public security; the drug trade and user population are disproportionately involved in crimes against person and property in this region.

Who is right? Nobody and both! It is a public health issue and a public security issue all in one.

You can't have a safe-site programme without a rehabilitation program. It is akin to trying to cure alcoholics by giving them free booze. Without treatment the alcoholic will just continue until she/he dies. Maybe that is the idea?

If the province wants to help addicts, let them go all the way instead of taking tiny steps. A drug rehab programme and centre is mandatory to achieve the goals of both the province and the city.

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