Who Your Friends Are

Since the drug bill announcement it's getting hard to tell who your friends are.The feds are sending 10 million dollars to Vancouver as our "share"of the drug war booty.The mayor has decided that the cash should go to his pet CAST program .This is a deeply flawed plan based on an interresting idea.The mayor wants to give prescription drugs to addicts.Sounds like a brilliant idea,right?Wrong.Sam(Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan)says who gets what and how it's dispensed.I don't know where Sam went to med. school but he's got some truely insane ideas about what is and isn't a replacement drug.He wants,for instance,to give ritalin to crack users.Now I'm no expert on crack but I've had some first hand experience with ritalin and it won't smoke well.I don't think Sam gets the "Ritual"aspect of drug abuse.Ritalin is injectable,easily.Maybe he does get it.I don't see injecting as a step above smoking,health wise.Amphetamines will do nicely for meth.That's probably what'll wind up happening any way.There doesn't seem to be any innovation for heroin addicts.There's too much money being made in the methadone business.The real problem with this program is the same thing that killed heroin maintenance in England.They want the process focused on getting everyone off drugs?The program in England made what should have been it's goals.Reduced crime,stable lifestyles,improved health and less violence.They went to methadone because they weren't weaning any one off of heroin.Surprise!The real tragedy is that Sam plans to sacrifice the safe injection site on the altar of his lame castoff.That,will cost lives.