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Who Is In Charge Of Our Drug Policies?
It seems Canada is on the verge of making illegal
drugs available to addicts for free and no one in the government
has bothered to asked Canadians what they think about it.
So far, our policy has always been that of prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation for the addict. That no longer seems
to be the case. Canada is soon to have shooting galleries which
will enable heroin addicts to shoot up in so-called "safe"
rooms - under medical supervision - at the taxpayers' expense!
This plan is the brain-child of our trendy Minister
of Health, Allan Rock and his branch on drugs called The Office
of Canada's Drug Strategy. The Acting Director of this branch is
a bureaucrat, Catherine Airth, who recently co-chaired a Task Force
on Supervised Injection Sites, which suggested this major policy
change on illicit drug use.
The task force was launched last spring and consisted
of carefully selected representatives from the police, government
bureaucrats and addiction treatment agencies. The co-chair is none
other than Dr. Perry Kendall, the BC provincial health officer who
operates a one-member band in support of permissive drug law policies
in Canada. He has been personally lobbying for a long time to provide
free prescription heroin to drug addicts.
The theory behind these proposed shooting galleries
is that they should result in drug users being less likely to overdose,
share needles, spread disease or commit petty crimes if they are
provided with free drugs, clean syringes, and a safe place to get
high.
Such programs, however, make the mistake of ignoring
the terrible havoc caused by drugs in the addicts' lives. Instead,
advocates deplore the harm that a criminal conviction will cause
to the addict's self-esteem and sense of personal autonomy. Why
do these advocates never seem to be concerned about the limited
quality of life or even the life itself of the addict? Advocates
also claim that property crime and violence caused by drug users
are the result of the illegality of drugs, rather than acknowledging
the truth - that drug use diminishes the addict's capacity to work
and earn, as well as any other behaviour which requires planning,
and a sense of commitment. It is these latter inadequacies experienced
by the drug addict that results in his criminal and anti-social
behaviour.
The problem is that drug accessibility programs
do not seek the cessation or reduction of drug use. Rather, they
assist in the continued use of drugs which has a detrimental, and
often fatal outcome for the addict. Rehabilitation is not
a goal of these programs.
The proven answer to drug addiction is deterrent
regulations, backed by sound public education and policing. Such
action is the truly compassionate and humane response. Compulsory
care and rehabilitation is now the policy in Sweden, and its rejection
of the "safe use" of illegal drugs has led to a drug usage
decrease in that country. (World Drug Report, UN publication, Oxford
University Press, 1997.) Conversely, drug use has increased alarmingly
in Australia, Switzerland and other countries which have adopted
free drug policies for addicts.
Who Is In Charge Of Our Drug Policies?
The question is: Who is in charge of Canada's drug
policy? Is it the bureaucrats and their carefully selected task
force whose recommendations have the stamp of approval of our Minister
of Health, or is it the Canadian people? The fact is, Canada has
a law called the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
which prohibits the use of illegal drugs. Canada has
also ratified UN Treaties and signed Declarations which require
that drug use remain a criminal offence.
Further, Canada drew up its Drug Strategy in 1998
which provides that the long-term goal is to reduce the harm associated
with drugs to individuals, families and communities by way of prevention,
treatment and rehabilitation. Providing free heroin to addicts does
not achieve this goal, yet, here is a small group of people who
think they know best. They are off on a thoughtless frolic of their
own, confidently planning to establish free drug injection rooms,
possibly in Vancouver and Toronto. Just who do they think they are?
This policy change apparently is being slipped
in under cover of S. 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substance
Act, which provides for suspension of the provisions of
the Act for "medical" and "scientific" purposes
or for reasons of "public interest." This is obviously
a pretence for making these sweeping changes, since the shooting
galleries do not treat addicts but merely assist them
in their continued use of drugs. Rehabilitation is not
the goal of these programs. Medical and scientific objectives, therefore,
are not involved, and such policies are not in the
public interest.
What makes this recommendation of the Task Force
even more untenable is the fact that Parliament has recently set
up two independent committees to study the drug laws - an all-party
House of Commons Committee to report to Parliament in November,
2002 and a Special Senate Committee on Drugs, which is to report
in August, 2002. (See "Chaos and Confusion with our Marijuana
Laws," page 1.) Does the Health Department's aggressive office
of Drug Strategy have no shame? Could it not at least restrain itself
long enough to allow our Parliamentarians to examine the issue?
Apparently not! These self-important nobodies, working in the Health
Department's Office of Canada's Drug Strategy, represent no one
but themselves. They cannot be allowed to ride roughshod over our
laws and the views of the Canadian people.
Please object strenuously to this arrogant abuse
of power by Mr. Rock in his attempt to provide free illicit drugs
in government approved injection rooms. Please write immediately
to:
The Right Hon. Jean Chrétien, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister
Langevin Building, 2nd Floor
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0A2
Tel: (613) 992-4211
Fax: (613) 941-6900
The Honourable Allan Rock, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Health
Brooke Claxton Building
Address Locator 0916A
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
Tel: (613) 957-0200
Fax: (613) 952-1154
Your MP
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
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