10 - Horth Shore News — Sunday, April 2, 2000 The war on druc Dear Editor: In your March 27 article (“District lobbies for drug treatment programs”), RCMP representatives are quoted criticizirg a motion to sup- port drug decriminalization. They argued “decriminal- izing drugs does not affect the - supply or demand.” In a way this is correct. The Australians report that decriminalizing cannabis pos- session has not affected cannabis consuinption rates. Of course, there is no evi- dence that drug law enforce- ment affects supply or demand either. On the con- trary, we know from experi- ence that drug law enforce- ment increases supply by mak- ing drug trafficking more profitable. Prohibition increases avail- ability by putting the market in the hands of criminals and the marketplace in our school- MAIL Box: yards and it increases demand by diverting scarce resources away from treatment and edu- cation. With the exception of source country interdiction, domestic law enforcement is the most expensive and least effective way to reduce the societal costs associated with drug abuse. A recent study by the RAND Corp. found that every additional dollar invest- ed in substance abuse treat- ment saves taxpayers $7.46 in societal costs. By stimulating crime and violence, every additional dol- lar spent on the “war on drugs” costs taxpayers 48 cents. Further, by marginalizing and intimidating addicts, law enforcement reduces the effectiveness cf what little resources are left for treat- ment and education. Why elders get upset with youth Dear Editor: . Lam writing in nse to a letter by Jenny Techlenburg, . age 14, in the March 26 News. She should understand that many older le E-ve stron; opinions about “kids these days,” cand this is often with ; reason. All one has to do . is turn to the next page of the . same paper ¢ that her letter was : publish d in, to read articles . Grad only a s Tax. RETURNS about teenagers vandalizing a West Vancouver 7-Eleven, destroying a vehicle at the Esplanade theatre, and recciv- ing probation: for disgusting crimes committed against many & ople during Sentinel’s Scarrally. As someone who has only recently passed her teenage years, I can honestly say I knew all number of people who did volunteer work dur- ing high school, while I knew many who spent hours in the “smoke pit,” partied at every opportunity and Joitered in gas station parking lots until all hours of the night. I can understand why any mature person would be appalled at the youth of today. - -. Furthermore, I think her closing comment was un-called - for. Most adults that I know, whether they are iay age or considerably older, are content with the stage of life that they are in, and would not want to go back in time to relive their teenage years. I'm sure Mr. Shelton’s let- ter was not an expression of his jealousy of young people. Lisa Michelle surfbran@home.com “Call Brian Watts for an appointment . SELF EMPLOYMENT INCOME “@ EMPLOYMENT INCOME © RETIREMENT * INVESTMENT INCOME _ © Carita. Gains © Disability Creoirs We also offer Financial Planning Services . WHITTAKER & ASSOCIATES ° CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS - #203 - 3151 Woodbine Drive (Edgemont Village) 988-7832 ¢ RENTAL INCOME © CHILD CARE © Movina Expenses BB Priority Club WoRiOWIDE 10 Priority Club p points for every $1 spent® AIR CANADA rc) Aéroplan 500 Air Canada Aeroplan : miles per stay” Short of actvidly seeking the advice of ueatment pro- fessionals and addicts, council would benefit from some homework on the subject. I suggest they start with “The Report of the Task Force into Illicit Narcotic Overdose Deaths in British Columbia, Office of the Chief Coroner, 1994,” which rec- ommended drug decriminal- ization. They might also review Ss is extremely costly “HIV/AIDS and Injection Drug, Use: A National Action Plan, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, 1997”, which .Jlso recommended decriminalization. 1 would refer them to an authoritative drug policy study that recommended more law enforcement ... but there aren't any. _ Matthew M. Elrod Victoria creator@islandnet.com News reader bugged | by ‘hateful drivel’ Dear Editor: 1 have never been motivat- ed to write to your newspape “i until I read Drew Mei March 19 letter to the editor. I have seldom read such illogical and hateful drivel in my life. As a young, heterosex- ual, white male, r am perhaps one of the “sons” which Mr. Meikle secks to save from the “feminization of education.” - However, I could not dis- agree more with his opinions. It is obvious that he has. no respect for women, and the point of his letter seems to be that most of the problems of the modern world stem from . giving women . the right to vote... Mr. Mcikle fondly recalls the days when “disagreements were settled in the p! layground with a few bloody noses” and “virtues such as homophobia, racism, and sexism were the’ norm.” : The loss of. this mentality ; and the treatment of women as», equals seems to have brought: about pollution, . high . crime,: disrespect for’ teachers, . and ° loss of self-reliance ‘in his eyes ~ but F find his a ent com: pletely lacking in logic!'a prior event is not necessarily th cause of future events, Mr. Meikle. ” A survey ‘of ‘cultures past. and present will generally reveal that there is a direct cor- relation to the way in which society treats its. women’ and the level of sophistication i it has. achicved. days pits “In_those gig: gled. They’ didn't: need to -: think.” My mother was raised ina society where it: was an: unwritten rule that science was too hard for women: in ite of: this, she obtained ae emistry at the age of 26. Mr. Meikle concludes with: "a warning that today’s’ youn; men will pot be ready for bat if they do not rekindle the ues for which ‘he: yearns, but .: perhaps the values of tolerance,” compassion, and decency: have reduced. the, need: for: young men such as myself to be overseas to figh a aos Bae x bis nas all likelih _a product of the ‘environment in which he. was raised,.b Check battery, antitreaze, belts hoses inspectio , tires & brakes, vis 1 AIR MILES®* reward mile for every $5 spent” . GNTARIO Cornwall 1625 Vincent Massey Dr. Hamilton-stoney Creek 51 Keefer Crt. 4 Ockville 2525 Wyecroft Rd. SRITISH COLUMBIA a Kamloops : 1580 Versatile Dr.- ' Kelowna * 2429 Highway 97 North w’ j tangiey : -,8750-204th Street “; Vencouver-hirport ad 5 * 9354 Bridgeport food? 8 RoE : Vancouver-Horthshore — _ 2800 Capilano Rd. AIBERTA a Colgory-University 5 2227 Banff Trail, N. a Edmonten ree 10017.1798 St. : Edmonton Int'l Airport 1202 4th st. 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