Dear editor,
It seems to me that what we will take away from this pandemic is that medical research will be at the forefront of Canada鈥檚 priorities.
Indeed, our progress in medical research would benefit the world. Or, wealthy countries could take on one particular disease.
Regarding addiction to opiates, how would pushers and dealers survive if they were made redundant? This can be done by identifying all hardcore addicts and by treating their addiction as a disease. Some may be weaned off the drugs, while some would live out their lives with prescribed opiates, and no need to get their supply from dealers. This would also make it less available to our youth. Dr. Gabor Mate who worked in Vancouver鈥檚 Eastside says he never did treat any addict there who hadn鈥檛 been abused as a child. There are of course other causes of addiction, but we do need to recognize the inhumanity of seeing and treating the homeless or addicted as choosing to live that way.
Pedophiles get incredibly short sentences. Dealers and pushers, the same, yet their priority is to get our youth and most vulnerable addicted. What if life in prison without parole was widely known to be the punishment?
Margaret Nyland,
Comox
