THE CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE

It's hard to understand why our provincial government, as fiscally
conservative as it is, is willing to pay so much for addiction.

A report from the British Columbia Medical Association suggests the
costs to our health care, law enforcement and economy run close to $6
billion annually. As many as one in 10 visits to Vancouver General
Hospital's ER relate to substance abuse, according to the association.

Few would argue that addiction to drugs, alcohol and other poisons
costs our system dearly, but our government steadfastly refuses to do
what's needed to address it.

Addiction should be recognized for what it is: A disease. Those who
fall prey to it are willing to forfeit their possessions, steal from
others, risk freedom and even sell their bodies to feed their habit.
No amount of enforcement will change that. But medical treatment just might.

The solution won't be cheap, to be sure. But as much as those will
cost us, surely the tab will be lower than the one we're paying now.