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December 06, 2005
Heroin: A Canadian Right
There is so much wrong in this article:
Health authorities in Canada's westernmost province want to make the country's first test facility for heroin injection permanent and are considering opening additional clinics to meet the huge demand. The Vancouver facility was set up in 2003, against US opposition, as a three-year experiment exempt from Canadian drug laws.......Addicts bring in drugs purchased illegally on the street, and self-inject them under medical supervision. There are onsite emergency services in case of overdose and staff nurses and counselors to provide health care and referrals to rehabilitation facilities.
Now, here's a shock: they're doing a booming business. You know, if I opened up a bar that only catered to kids under 21, because, you know, they need a place where they can safely get plastered, I bet you I'd do a bang-up business as well.
The United States also opposes a new experiment in Vancouver to give addicts free prescription heroin in hopes of reducing property crimes to feed their habit.
Sounds like a brilliant plan to me. I'd like to extend it further: let's simply drug all criminals, all the time. Let them stumble and bumble about in La-La Land. For the Government to supply heroin to every person convicted of any crime in the US would surely be cheaper thaan the costs of the prison system. Hell, let's shift all farm subsidies to opium production. As a bonus, think of all the great poetry that would be written by these modern-day Byrons!
Ironically, the success of Vancouvers supervised heroin use site led to another controversy this month, as Vancouver police launched a crackdown on public drug use. For years police have turned a blind eye in some areas to thousands of addicts shooting up on sidewalks, streets and in public buildings such as libraries, and leaving behind used syringes. Police now say because addicts can use the supervised facility, they will be stopped from injecting in public. "The police recognize drug addiction as a health issue... but police must step in when the addicts' activities interfere with other people's lives," police said in a statement. "Children should be able to use (park playground) swings and not have to worry about pricking themselves with needles buried in the sand," said police Inspector Bob Rolls.
Which is why we need to make those kids addicts too!
Advocates for drug users protested that the police crackdown is cruel because the clinic can only serve a minority of drug users. "It's just a really destructive thing," said Ann Livingston of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. She notes that the supervised site can handle just 800 of 15,000 heroin injections daily, and staff are prohibited from physically injecting addicts or letting other addicts inject incapacitated users.
Yes, it's so cruel. Perhaps if we got the Police addicted they'd be more sympathetic...
There's also no place for addicts who smoke cocaine, said Livingston.
That's the last straw! Rise up, oppressed users! And what about those who snort cocaine? Where are there government-supplied mirrors and clean razors, hmmm?
No wonder they call it The Great White North...
I need a drink.
Posted by Mr. Bingley at December 6, 2005 12:49 PM
Comments
* blank stare *
Posted by: Ken Summers at December 6, 2005 01:59 PM
Did anyone else notice this:
Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
WTF? WTFF?
The Chinese had the right solution: shoot the dealers, detox the addicts, and anyone who goes back to using gets shot, too, with the bill for the bullet going to the family.
To be fair to the underage analogy, though, I think anyone old enough to vote and die for their country is old enough to drink, so either raise the voting and induction ages or lower the drinking age back to 18.
Posted by: John at December 6, 2005 02:13 PM
I'm all for lowering it back to 18, for exactly the reasons you cite.
Posted by: Mr. Bingley at December 6, 2005 02:22 PM
I wonder if the Canucks raised the cigarette taxes to pay for this.
Posted by: Ken Summers at December 6, 2005 02:28 PM
Methinks some folks must be wearing their toques too tight.
Posted by: Cullen at December 6, 2005 02:41 PM
One toque over the line?
Posted by: Ken Summers at December 6, 2005 02:56 PM
Enabling addicts to waste their lives away may not be the height of moral bankruptcy but it's gotta be close. And 5000 heroin addicts in a 10 block area? Can that be right?
Posted by: Dave E at December 6, 2005 03:05 PM
Their evil flows like Maple syrup.
Posted by: Cullen at December 6, 2005 03:06 PM
Yeah, British Columbia (at least around the Vancouver area) has always been a hotbed of extreme liberalism. I was raised in northwest Washington, on the inland coast, where we could see Canada (Grouse Mountain and Vancouver Island) across Puget Sound. Their moonbat ways started in the early to mid 1970s, as I recall.
Here's irony for you: The businesses in NW Washington make a KILLING on sales to Canadians. The prices are too high for even basics, apparently. British Columbia residetns will come south for the weekend, and spend. Indeed, some stores actually set up RV parking for Canadian customers. I don't know what the Canadian customs rules are for Canadians on shopping in the US, but there has to be SOME revenue loss here.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at December 6, 2005 03:15 PM
Heheheheh, nice Ken.
Dave - naturally, the addicts migrate to the place, artificially elevating the concentration.
The real sorrow here is that it's all so predictably rotten. They did it to lessen crime, and got more (hence the need for police crackdowns); any guess that their newest "solution" will be more of the same? As in, "Gee, this situation [never a problem] got worse when we did X, obviously we simply need more X than ever before!" That's why state programs grow like kudzu.
Posted by: Nightfly at December 6, 2005 03:41 PM
But there will be no smoking indoors.
Posted by: GetALifeAgain at December 6, 2005 03:56 PM
They should start putting sterility drugs in with this state-funded heroine. That would be so awesome.
Posted by: Cullen at December 6, 2005 04:02 PM
His Honor has said that there ought to be Drug-FULL Areas. You know, like camps or whatever, where we say, "You want to do drugs? Well, do them all you want RIGHT HERE." But they can't leave and there will be no law enforcement of any kind in that area. If they do leave, they'll be held to whatever laws are in effect out here. And they have to leave their kids outside too.
So they can fry their brains to their heart's content and leave the rest of us the hell alone.
Posted by: Lisa at December 6, 2005 04:48 PM
That sounds fantastic, Lisa!!! We could do it to New York! Just fence off Manhattan!
Waitaminute ...
Posted by: Cullen at December 6, 2005 06:08 PM
From what I hear, large parts of Vancouver are now essentially outside the control of the local authorities, and literally ruled by criminal gangs. Now, that's true to some extent of a fair number American cities as well, but at least it's minus the pretentious hypocritical Canadian smugness.
Lisa and Cullen, I believe there's a part of Copenhagen that's at least de facto if not officially like what you're talking about.
Posted by: Dave J at December 7, 2005 12:21 AM
Yes, Cullen. Bingley's in Manhattan. No one deserves that. Permanently impounded with him, I mean. There's not enough dope (or dopes) in the world to make it work.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at December 7, 2005 09:25 AM
Kurt Russell could go in and save him, or them from him, as it were.
Posted by: Cullen at December 7, 2005 09:34 AM
Don't waste him on BINGLEY, for God's sake!! I'd rather he came and saved me...from myself, even. Whatever it takes to get a Russell Rescue.
Oh...baby.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at December 7, 2005 09:46 AM
And the Escape from New York reference continues to sail over heads ... ;)
Posted by: Cullen at December 7, 2005 09:51 AM
You should have included an Ernest Borgnine reference instead of Kurt Russell, Cullen. He portray a Naval officer, which is sorta kinda like the Marines, and better suited for a rescue in Pensacola.
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at December 7, 2005 09:56 AM
(Cullen, duh. It's not that early here and I'm not THAT blonde, jeez.)
Now, back to business.
Ernest BORGNINE?? Have you lost your desert sun addlepated MIND?? I would need free heroin for that.
Posted by: tree hugging sister at December 7, 2005 10:01 AM
No, it's not that early.
Posted by: Cullen at December 7, 2005 10:17 AM
What? I thought you rooted for the Navy last weekend!
Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at December 7, 2005 03:24 PM