Pubdate: Sat, 06 Oct 2007
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 The Vancouver Sun
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1140/a04.html
Author: Douglas Bjorkman

WAR IN AFGHANISTAN UNDERMINES WAR ON DRUGS

Re: Harper vows jail time for drug dealers, producers, Oct. 5

It is with some dismay that I take note of Prime Minister Stephen 
Harper's proposal for a "war on drugs."

Surely a politician with such a record for sycophantic regard for all 
things American could not have failed to notice that such a war has 
been tried and failed in the United States. I cannot imagine that 
even Harper wishes to double our prison population by incarcerating 
vast numbers of our minority people.

However there is also a Made-in-Canada reason for opposition to any such "war."

Our own military is fully occupied with our war on Afghanistan. Since 
this war began, Afghan production of drugs has more than trebled. I 
am not sure that we would be able to feed and house the number of 
Afghans we could expect to be produced as a result of a full-scale 
war on drugs.

This aside, it has long been apparent to all rational people that the 
solution to any drug problem is treatment, not punishment.

Douglas Bjorkman

Vancouver
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