LETTER

Our drug epidemic

 

I was watching the CTV news last night, mostly devoted to the "drug epidemic" that is happening all over the world, not just in North America. This has been in the making for a long time and our society has missed the boat. Here’s what we could be doing. (Don't use lack of money as an excuse):

1) Parents - communicate with your children about drugs, their complex lives, and convince them that drugs are not cool.
2) Schools & hospitals - Look out for the signs that young people are being targeted for drug indoctrination. Devote resources (guidance counsellors, social workers, psychologists) to nip the problem in the bud.
3) Border security - Check everything coming from China (especially) since we know it is the biggest exporter of Fentanyl.
4) Police & courts - Increase penalties for drug traffickers to many, many years in prison (especially if deaths occur and can be linked).
5) Cities & provinces - Don't build safe injection sites. They perpetuate the destruction of lives and communities and act like a Mecca for hard drug users to congregate and for drug use to proliferate.
6) Governments - Start building drug treatment centres so people can get their lives back.

We owe it to our young people!

Steve d'Eça
Aylmer