On October 4, Steven Harper announced a new $64 million antidrug program with an approach to drug use that closely resembles the American “war on drugs.” Given the spectacular failure of the American program, why is Harper refusing to learn from the mistakes of our neighbours?
In his latest speech, Harper said that harm reduction for drug addicts was not a priority for his government and that “no matter how much harm you reduce, if you are a drug addict, you are still going to live a short, miserable life.” This is a terrible oversimplification. Harper assumes that all drug addicts are poor and are attempting to seek help. It is hard enough to convince people go to needle exchange programs or safe injection sites, let alone to rehabilitate them. Some addicts do not even know these places exist. This is why increased promotion of safe injection sites, such as Vancouver’s Insite, HIV testing sites, and health education sites, is necessary. Harper needs to spend money on public awareness of these incredibly crucial resources, not remove their funding or shut them down, both of which are distinct possibilities under his new plan.
Harper promises that someone caught selling even the smallest amount of drugs will face harsh penalties. Frankly, doesn’t the government have better things to devote tens of millions of dollars to than chasing around people dealing a few grams of marijuana? Wait a minute: five years ago, wasn’t there widespread support for legalizing marijuana?
What does Harper plan to do for people with addictions that extend beyond existing structures like the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health? The safe drug injection site in Vancouver has proven to be an excellent method of dealing with the city’s drug problem. Providing willing addicts with health information and illness testing, Insite is a prime example of what the country’s drug program should look like. Needle exchanges and other such programs are also reaching ahead and providing the country’s addicts with a proper, healthy way to do drugs, accompanied by information urging them to stop.
You cannot penalize people into not doing drugs, Mr. Harper. Experts will tell you your proposed method is fl awed. What should be happening is the implementation of more safe injection sites and more needle exchanges. These sites may be taboo, but so was condom distribution to the public when that practice was first started. Clean syringes don’t encourage drug use, they just make drug use safe. They save lives.
I’m not suggesting putting needles in every public place, but an increased availability and knowledge of their whereabouts would definitely be an improvement, especially in parts of the country where drug use is known to be high. Without harm reduction and more education, the country’s drug problem will spin out of control, and no amount of money will save it.
