Series: The Drug Issue: Part 9 Of 13

RANDY WHITE WANTS REHAB, NOT COP-OUTS

The driving force behind Parliament's Committee on the Non-Medical Use of
Drugs wants rehabilitation and education, not safe shooting sites or
decriminalization.

Randy White has a problem.

Canada is divided into big cities and smaller ones.

The big cities have one idea of how to deal with the drug issue, and
they're busy selling that vision to White's Parliamentary Committee on the
Non-Medical Use of Drugs.

But the smaller, more rural areas have drug problems, too.

And White desperately wants the committee to hear from them, from places
like Langley, his home riding.

"What they see as solutions in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside would frighten
the people in the Valley," said White on Wednesday. "They're talking about
issuing heroin, giving safe injection sites, offering methadone treatment,
creating needle exchanges, and even condoning the door-to-door delivery of
drugs.

"These are concepts that would make the majority of Canadians say, 'Have we
tried everything else?'"

Going the big city route is pointless when there aren't enough
rehabilitation centres running.

"The object of this exercise is to get those who are addicted off of their
addictions," White said. "It's not to perpetuate the addiction."

White stressed the need for Langley residents to make their opinions known
to the committee by e-mailing Carol Chafe at snud@parl.gc.ca, or mailing
her at the House of Commons-Room 605 Wellington Building, Ottawa, Ontario,
K1A 0A6.

"We're all open to hearing opinions on this thing," said White. "There sure
isn't any consensus. There are groups within groups that can't even agree
on what to do."

There's also a lack of commitment from all three levels of government,
White said.

"Government isn't even trying to fix the situation," said White. "It's sad.
There's no workable strategy in place."

White hopes that his committee will be able to reverse that trend.

"This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for people to have their say,"
said White. "They should write in to the committee. If they are silent on
this issue, we will all suffer the consequences.

"It could be your child or your grandchild, your husband or your wife, that
faces these drug addictions next."