Whanganui letters: 'Without the criminal input there would not be a drug trade'

The reality is that it is the criminals that created the drug trade, writes one reader. Photo / NZME

Garth Scown's letter (July 10) in regard to drugs creating criminals has put the cart before the horse. In fact, it is exactly the other way around.

The reality is that it is the criminals that created the drug trade as a way of making a huge amount of money.

Without the criminal input there would not be a drug trade. If you take away the drug trade from the criminals, they will simply find other ways to make money as they have always done.

One of those ways would be to undercut Garth Scown's proposed scheme on price and continue to supply heavy users.

We must never lose sight of the damage drug dependence does to the addicted, both physically and mentally, and the damage to the community in the form of crime that the addicted carry out in their desperation to secure money for their dependence.

Basically, when you take drugs, you are messing with your brain and that is never a good idea.

I do, however, think that drug dependence should be more of a medical problem than legal problem, but that the laws need to be kept in place for users, to be there as a last resort.

We do need to invest more on prevention and the rehabilitation of people addicted to drugs.

ROBERT CONDER
Marton

Council frills

I read with interest Denise Lockett's letter (July 10) re: cutting out the frilly bits. While I have some sympathy with her view, it is necessary to remember what the legislated tasks of council are.

The Local Government Act of 2002 has four tasks for council to be responsible for. These are social, economic, environmental and cultural. Unfortunately, whatever your views, some, if not all, of these tasks will contain a portion of what some would describe as frilly.

I am sure many of us will never agree on what these frilly bits are, however we do need to live in an environment that is more than just road, pipes and dog control.

Which raises another issue, when is the flying fox going to be fixed? That's one frilly I can support.

MIKE WALKER
Fordell

Same waka

Right on the button, Rob Rattenbury (Chronicle, July 12). Although I am a Pākehā New Zealander, I definitely do not consider myself or most other Pākehā Kiwis as white supremacists.

As Rob points out, there are always extremists with hateful and nutty ideas in every society and, unfortunately, a few idiots who accept their extremist ideology and blindly follow them.

We Kiwis are all part of the same multicultural boat and should paddle the waka accordingly.

DOUG PRICE
Castlecliff

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