When Eby鈥檚 government flatly refused to consider the recommendations in Bonnie Henry鈥檚 report on the toxic drug crisis, I wondered.  

When Kevin Falcon and John Rustad agreed, saying they would fire Dr. Henry if they became premier, I got deeply worried. (鈥淒on鈥檛 shoot the messenger鈥� would be great advice for these two!)

We taxpayers pay good money for our Public Health Officer Bonnie Henry. Her job is to advise elected politicians who don鈥檛 have enough experience or education to develop health policies independently. Politicians like Eby, Falcon, and Rustad, all of whom have zero medical expertise.

So why did our leaders behave this way? Because our politicians try to act as our voice. If politicians believe we feel strongly about something, they will try and reflect this in their policy making.

Obviously, Eby believes that the public would never agree with Bonnie Henry鈥檚 recommendations. Therefore, he feels he can鈥檛 support them either.

But why would voters reject expert recommendations? The fact is, we are in a Public Health State of Emergency. Experts around the world are working to decide on the best course of action in the face of this terrifying crisis.

Their conclusion:  governments need to legalize and regulate all drugs immediately.

This sounds scary and radical. But is fear reason enough to refuse to consider new ideas? Isn鈥檛 it our responsibility to inform ourselves and learn about issues before forming opinions? Is it OK to allow our government to lead by knee-jerk reaction?

We all need to become well-informed on the toxic drug crisis. And then, we need to let our politicians know how we feel. This is how responsible citizens in a democracy behave.

Ellen Strong Klassen

Comox Valley, B.C.