Proof that the RCMP is completely out of touch with reality

The RCMP, which has publicly taken a neutral position on Vancouver's Supervised Injection Site for drug addicts, has produced an internal report harshly critical of the pilot project.

The three-page analysis, obtained by The Vancouver Sun, suggests that the "harm reduction" approach -- helping addicts avoid overdosing or contracting HIV-AIDS -- actually encourages drug use.

''The RCMP has concerns regarding any initiative that lowers the perceived risks associated with drug use," states Staff-Sgt. C.D. (Chuck) Doucette, Pacific Region co-ordinator of the RCMP's Drugs and Organized Crime Awareness program.

''There is considerable evidence to show that, when the perceived risks associated to drug use decreases, there is a corresponding increase in number of people using drugs."

It is hard to read the headline without cringing. But the rest of this article is absolutely appalling. Let me get this straight. The RCMP would rather have drug addicts facing the full risks involved with highly dangerous behaviours such as injection drug use. These risks include disease, overdose and violence. Exposing people to these risks is A-OK because it discourages drug use? That is taking a childish and simplistic approach to drug addiction, which is a complex and multi-facetted problem. Prohibition, popular culture, poverty are all factors which encourage drug addiction. But I doubt that those factors were considered when the report was written.

Insite is a safe injection site in Vancouver. Clients are allowed to inject their own drugs at the site and are supplied with the necessary equipment to make this a safer experience.

For some reason this line of thinking reminds me of the wingnuts south of the border that will do anything to keep people from having sex. Abstinence-only "sex education" is taught as the only acceptable way to keep people safe from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

This is the same idea being promoted. It is better to have the drug addicts die or get diseases then to reduce the harm caused by their addiction. It’s better to have teenagers get diseased or pregnant than to have safer sex. It’s almost like the RCMP believe that the only thing preventing your average law-abiding citizen from shooting up is the threat of AIDS.

I agree with the viewpoint put forth by the following article:

Needless to say, we wouldn't expect, nor would we permit, scientists to patrol our streets, as police officers do. But unfortunately, we do need to say that we shouldn't expect police officers to conduct evaluations of scientific experiments, as scientists do.

It certainly isn't the first time that the RCMP has been given unwarranted decision-making authority.