***WARNING*** major stupidity ahead

WARNING!

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ IS SICKENING! GOOD LUCK...

BEFORE YOU READ IT, CONSIDER THIS: Libby Davies and Penny Priddy are both wonderful people; serious, hard-working and dedicated to public service in the best possible way. UNFORTUNATELY, when it comes to drug addictios and the public policies we have on addictiosn, they are COMPLETELY IGNORANT...AND THUS DANGEROUS.

What is especially depressing about all this is ALL THE OFFCIALS WHO AGREE WITH THESE MISTAKEN IDEAS and HOW CONVINCED THEY ARE OF THEIR CORRECTNESS.

Campaign for a Common Sense Drug Policy: OCTOBER Harm Reduction UpdateDear Friends,The federal Health Minister has bought his government some politicaltime by the extending the operating permit for Vancouver’s safeinjection site, InSite, by six months. However, given the recentannouncement of the Conservative’s new “Anti-Drug” strategy, and theeven greater emphasis on criminalizing this public health issue, Ibelieve the future of InSite is as uncertain as ever. I am writing to all Members of Parliament and other public officials toask that they join the growing support for InSite, and to ensure thatharm reduction remains a key part of Canada’s Drug Strategy. I haveincluded my letter below along with the most recent press release fromme and my NDP colleagues, about our concerns with the Conservative’s newso-called “Anti-Drug” strategy.Also, as you may know, this summer I began a campaign to visit citiesacross Canada, meeting with communities, organizations, and publicofficials to raise the alarm that harm reduction programs are at risk. Iwill be at a public forum in Ottawa on Thursday, October 25, hosted bythe AIDS Committee of Ottawa. I’m hosting a Vancouver harm reduction forum at the end of October, andwould like to take this opportunity to invite you to join me and myspecial guests, including former Vancouver Mayor, Phillip Owen, Dr.Thomas Kerr, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and other leadingexperts and advocates for harm reduction. The event details are asfollows:What: A public forum to discuss the future of harm reductionWhen: Sunday, October 28, 2007 2 pm – 4 pm Where: SFU Downtown Harbour Center Fletcher Challenge RoomSponsored by: Portland Hotel SocietyPlease mark your calendars or contact me at daviel@parl.gc.ca or604-775-5800. Yours SincerelyLibbyDear Member of Parliament, I am writing to you about an important public health and social justiceissue: Harm Reduction. The rapidly growing spread of HIV, Hepatitis C and other blood bornediseases among drug users is taking its toll on our health care systems,communities and the health and lives of some of our most disenfranchisedcitizens. Innovative strategies like the City of Vancouver’s Four Pillar Approach,integrates prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcementprograms, with positive results, recognizing the value of acomprehensive approach to drug use. Vancouver’s safe injection site, InSite, serves as an internationallylauded example of harm reduction success. After much scientificscrutiny InSite has been proven to reduce the spread of HIV andHepatitis C, significantly increase the number of people accessingtreatment, and decrease the number of overdoses and public injections. Despite the overwhelming evidence and wide spread support for InSite,the Health Minister has refused to acknowledge its successes, and hasagain delayed a decision to extend the program for the requested fullthree years. InSite staff, drug users, and the affected community arefacing an uncertain future. As you know, the Conservative government has recently removed harmreduction from Canada’s Drug Strategy. Criminalizing this public health issue is short sighted. With 73% ofour current drug resources going to enforcement, diverting more dollarsto enforcement may leave harm reduction programs, which we know areworking, in jeopardy. World leaders, politicians at all levels of government, activists, localcommunity organizations and even the Vancouver business community havepublicly recognized the social and economic benefits of harm reductionand InSite. I would like to invite your support for making it clear that harmreduction is a key part of Canada’s drug strategy, and that InSiteshould continue to operate. I hope that you will be interested injoining an informal Parliamentary network of MPs and elected officialswho support harm reduction programs. Please fill in the attached statement and return it to my office, and Iwill be glad to contact you and convene a meeting to discuss thisfurther. Yours sincerely, Libby Davies, MP VancouverNDP Spokesperson for Drug PolicyFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OCTOBER 4, 2007 FAILED US STYLE DRUG POLICY WRONG DIRECTION FOR EVERYDAY CANADIANS: NDP WINNIPEG, TORONTO AND SURREY – NDP Spokesperson for Drug Policy LibbyDavies (Vancouver East), NDP Health Critic Judy Wasylycia-Leis (WinnipegNorth) and Public Safety Critic Penny Priddy (Surrey North) criticizedthe Conservatives for taking the wrong direction on their anti-drugstrategy today. “We need to combat the very real problem of youth gangs, violence andcrack houses in our communities,” said Wasylycia-Leis. “But everydayCanadians know that simply criminalizing a public health problem is notthe solution. We don’t need more advertising – we need to invest in harmreduction, education, treatment, and enforcement.”“A heavy handed US style war-on-drugs only serves to create a culture offear,” said Davies. “This so called drug strategy fails to address thevery real needs in our communities. Experts and average Canadians alikeagree that we need to invest in real, long-term solutions to drug useand the problems that result from serious substance abuse.”The New Democrat MPs pointed out that the Conservative government hasconsistently failed to address the root problems of drug use in Canadaor to invest sufficiently in real enforcement solutions. “The Conservatives are not investing enough money where it’s needed tocombat the very real problems of crime and public safety in ourcommunities,” said Priddy. “Investing in adequate police resourcesallows the police more time both for enforcement work as well as forschool and community outreach initiatives.”The Conservatives showed their focus was on greater enforcement overtreatment and prevention in its 2007 budget, when it removed harmreduction as a pillar of Canada’s Drug Strategy. Health Minister TonyClement has also refused to commit to the requested three year extensionto InSite, Vancouver’s safe injection site, despite the scientificfindings that the program has reduced the transmission of HIV/AIDS andHepatitis C, and increased by 30% the number of people accessingtreatment. “Empirical evidence has proven that treatment, prevention and harmreduction programs, that are community based and accessible to drugusers, are key components in preventing drug use,” said Davies. “Thegovernment must acknowledge that these programs continue to producepositive social and economic results for working families in ourcommunities.” -30-