INSITE IS NO DRUG PANACEA

Re: If a drug policy works, Harper wants nothing to do with it, May 17.

Dan Gardner seems to think Insite is the solution to society's
profound problem of dealing with an individual's addiction. And his
dislike of Prime Minister Stephen Harper blinds him to the whole truth.

Although it seems to work, in fact Insite has helped to destroy a
whole section of Vancouver. The problem with Insite, like brothels
for that matter, is that behaviour doesn't stay packaged in the nice,
neat place where we condone it. It spills over. It attracts dangerous
individuals and it holds a street, a community, a district, hostage
to the perpetrators. Fewer needles in parks and playgrounds? Perhaps
because, like flypaper, addicts from all over flock to one section of
town, and where they have made it untenable to live or to work.

Whose neighbourhood should be sacrificed next?

Europe's success? Every year in Vienna, countries from around the
world gather for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
meeting. Sweden played a major role in March of this year. The latter
has Europe's lowest rates of crime, disease, medical and social
problems stemming from drug addiction.

This is due to the fact that Sweden employs a program of compulsory
drug treatment for addicts. This success is similar to that achieved
by drug courts in Canada, which ensure that addicts undergo treatment
and rehabilitation as an alternative to a conviction and court
record. The success rate of treatment obtained either voluntarily or
by court order, is the same.

I for one, am grateful to the Harper government for having the
concerns of all Canadians in mind when dealing with the existence and
possible expansion of this program. There is another side which
deserves to be heard.

JOHANNE BROWNRIGG, Orleans