Pubdate: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Abbotsford Times Contact: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009 Author: Victoria Inskip Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v06.n468.a04.html COLUMNIST BRILLIANT ON DRUG STRATEGY OPINIONS Editor, The Times: I would like to congratulate Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson for his brilliant column in the Times last Friday. He sums it up, speaking about the four pillars of an overdue drug strategy: "Prevention shows forethought, enforcement maintains order, harm reduction displays commitment, treatment grants a second chance." I have worked briefly in detox centres and rehab centres and I always found the results on people's lives amazing. Often the follow-up help and the halfway house spaces were too few or non-existent and it became a "revolving door" problem. To read in the paper that the harm reduction strategy encourages more addiction, is absurd. It is high time that the above drug strategy, based on the community-based four pillars model, is implemented. Jailing addicts who commit crimes, alone, just doesn't cut it. Victoria Inskip Mission - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin