To the editor:
The federal government has been pressuring our doctors to cut back on prescribing opiate pain killers. Perhaps there is a need for restrictions, but let’s not deprive chronic pain sufferers of the only thing that is working. The concern however is justifiable when we see the number of fatalities from improper use.
The thing that bothers me however is the mental attitude of the public and the politicians. One of the first things that Mr. Trudeau introduced was to legalize recreational marijuana. Surely it is evident that there are many more problems to be resolved without adding additional ones. Legalizing something does not mean it is right.
There is no doubt that drug abuse is rampant and a serious problem in our country, if so what are we doing about it? The concept of safe injection sites only adds to maintaining the supply of safe drugs but does nothing to correct the problem. We need to identify the cause of the usage. I am sure that having limited access to full time employment, underpaid work, the need to accept charity, no chance of having a home and mental illness that gets neglected could cause many to become victims of pushing drugs.
There needs to be much stiffer penalties for producers and distributors of these restricted drugs. Present fines are only the cost of doing business.
Canadians, let’s get our priorities in order and put pressure on our leaders to implement change.
Art Ferguson, West Kelowna