Pubdate: Fri, 23 Feb 2018
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2018 The Edmonton Journal
Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Lorna Thomas
Page: A12

REFORMING DRUG LAWS WOULD SAVE LIVES

Re. "Man charged in 2016 fentanyl death pleads guilty in unrelated
drug case," Feb. 21

The war on drugs, which is really a war on the people who use drugs,
has failed. The people who sell drugs at the street level are very
often in the grips of addiction themselves.

This was the case for Jordan Yarmey, and so many others like him. The
people who buy drugs are exposed to the possibility of accidental
death by fentanyl poisoning, which was the case for Szymon Kalich.

This tragic situation draws attention to the need for drug policy
reform. The decriminalization of small amounts of drugs for personal
use, and access to drug testing is one way to end the opioid overdose
crisis that is devastating families across our country.

Lorna Thomas, Edmonton
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MAP posted-by: Matt