Recriminalization of drugs first step
The recent decision by David Eby and the NDP to request the recriminalization of hard drugs from the federal government represents a turning point, the significance of which many B.C. and Canadian citizens may not yet fully recognize.
First, it is an admission that the drug problem is serious and can no longer be ignored or trivialized. Those of us who walk down the streets of Duncan or any other sizable city in Canada can see it every day. The human carnage of drug use is visible to anyone who cares to notice in B.C., or in any of the other provinces of Canada.
A second admission is that current strategies to deal with drug use on our streets and public spaces have not worked. Harm reduction strategies, worthwhile in their sentiment and compassionate in the eyes of many citizens, have not resulted in either a reduction in public drug use or a better life for those afflicted with addiction.
Recriminalizing is an attempt to deal with the restoration of public space for families and citizens who want to go to places like public parks without having to be afraid for themselves or their loved ones. It is a safety issue, and regrettably, in retrospect, something not common 20 or 30 years ago. Sadly, regarding the public use of hard drugs, we can no longer pretend things are as they once were.
So where do we need to be now? We need to be in the realm of reality not fantasy. Those citizens of Canada who have fallen into addiction need treatment and rehabilitation, but not at the expense of the safety of citizens who do not suffer from drug addiction. The recriminalization of drugs, and the prevention of their use in public venues, is a first step in the process of coming to terms with our soaring addiction rate, and an encouraging sign that we are facing our unpleasant truths as a nation. It is also a sad recognition that we must all work harder to restore the Canada we once knew and the health of our nation.
Perry Foster
Duncan
