Researchers say Canadian injection site a success - Reuters

Researchers say Canadian injection site a success (Reuters.com)

This came out last week and I wanted to write about it then, but didn't get the chance. Vancouver, BC tried an experiment in sane drug policy which was a great success. A site was provided where injection drug users could go a shoot up in a clean and safe environment. The needles were clean and disposed of safely and the users were able to get help treating their addictions.

Fears that crime would increase around the site were unfounded and in fact quite the opposite occurred. The treatment level was astounding and the public health ramifications positive, in that the spread of HIV/AIDS and other harms from needle sharing were diminished.

Drug policy (and other social policies) in the United States tend toward criminalization. Make things illegal and let the courts deal with those who break the law (or on the other side make them legal and let the states figure it out.) However, simply making something illegal doesn't make it go away, it just means that law enforcement deals with the problem, which isn't always the best institution to handle social ills.

The Vancouver experiment has shown us that other solutions can be much more effective than simple shuttling addicts off to jail. This is, of course, common sense but common sense isn't always easy, nor wisdom often cheap. I'm not advocating decriminalization - at least not yet - but I would advocate a radical shift in the way we deal with drugs in this country. Addicts need help to deal with their addiction and jail should be a method of last resort.