Vancouver Drug Facilities Draw Ire of U.S. Officials

The Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/1/3 | JOEL BAGLOLE

[WaveThatFlag]

Angering U.S. officials fighting the war on drugs, the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia, is opening North America's first safe-injection sites for heroin users.

Backers insist it's better to treat drug addiction as a public-health issue rather than a criminal matter. Emulating European countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands, where such sites have existed for more than a decade, health workers and politicians say they aim to stop the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C from intravenous drug use and to curb the number of heroin deaths.

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How come we didn't think of this: The best way to solve North America's biggest drug problem is to facilitate. Maybe the'll all die faster...

[bigfootbob]

"Maybe the'll all die faster..."

Or perhaps they'll receive the treatment needed to straighten their lives out.

The WOD has been a total failure, it's time to try something else. I don't know it this is the right approach, but what we've been doing isn't working.

[SolutionsOnly]

Sounds like the net effect will be a migration of Heroin addicts to Vancouver. Where's the problem there?

[WaveThatFlag]

IS drug usage going down in countries that legalized shooting galleries (be honest)?

[MrLeRoy]

IS drug usage going down in countries that legalized shooting galleries (be honest)?

I doubt the 'safe'-injection sites have any effect on drug use rates; does anyone without the sense to say "I'm staying away from heroin because it can addict or kill me" have the sense to say "I'm staying away from heroin because it's hard to get clean needles and avoid infection"?

[bigfootbob]

"IS drug usage going down in countries that legalized shooting galleries (be honest)?"

Truthfully? I don't know. I do know it's not declining here under the policies of the WOD.

[WaveThatFlag]

How do you quantify your observation? Who's to say drug use wouldn't be increasing without the WOD? Regardless, I fail to see the logic in "Its not working, let's give up."

[MrLeRoy]

I fail to see the logic in "Its not working, let's give up."

I fail to see the logic in "Let's continue to do what's not working."

[bigfootbob]

"I fail to see the logic in "Its not working, let's give up."

I said it's time to try a different tactic. The WOD is a failure. It's time to admit it. We saw the DARE program was a bust and discontinued it, we need the same honesty with the WOD.

[MrLeRoy]

Reminds me of the Ronald Reagan quote, "some years ago the federal government declared war on poverty, and poverty won."

[WaveThatFlag]

I fail to see the logic in "Let's continue to do what's not working."

That's just your opinion. Maybe it is working.

[WaveThatFlag]

Maybe what we need to do is turn the pressure up even further.

[B Knotts]

The Bush administration already is fuming over Canadian government moves that allow some chronically ill people to smoke marijuana legally.

Umm...aren't there like a half-dozen people who get official U.S. government marijuana?

[MrLeRoy]

Maybe what we need to do is turn the pressure up even further.

Maybe what we need to do to win the War On Poverty is to give away even more taxpayer money.

[Hacksaw]

KILL THEM! KILL EVERYONE! THE STREETS WILL FLOW WITH THE BLOOD OF THE NON BELIEVERS!
(Sorry, had to get that out)

[MrLeRoy]

KILL THEM! KILL EVERYONE! THE STREETS WILL FLOW WITH THE BLOOD OF THE NON BELIEVERS!

That's the approach they're using in Thailand: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/863794/posts.

[WaveThatFlag]

Um, upping social programs for drug users has a lot more in common with welfare than getting tough on drug dealers.

[Former Proud Canadian]

U.S. drug czar John Walters...has called Vancouver's safe-injection sites "state-sponsored personal suicide."

Well, yes they are. And your point?

[Hacksaw]

Ummm, I was kidding....