Editor:
Re: Criminalization cause of crisis, April 20 letters.
I wish to refute letter-writer Jeff Shantz’s inferrence that the opioid “crisis” is somehow caused by me and others like me, and not as a result of the drug users’ behaviour themselves.
Drug users do not have a disease that is caught from some germ – they still choose to take the drug knowing full well that they have a high risk of dying from the taking of it. They must assume full responsibility for doing this and must accept the consequences.
The criminalization comes from the criminality that is committed in maintaining their habit, which is unacceptable to me.
So, either they die, they stop or they carry on committing crimes and suffer the justice consequences.
Criminality is part of their choice.
Ivan Michael Scott, Surrey
