We can't even smoke tobacco

Friday's paper was full of stories about drug addicted babies.By Sunday,The Province editorial was about just that.On Friday,The doctor felt compelled to phone into the Vancouver media with a story from Prince George.I guess she was bored.She started out saying it was mostly crack and went right on into the use of morphine to bring heroin addicts children down.She threw in that they were getting better at seeing the signs of addiction in babies and that that might be part of the reason for the 10 fold increase in the last 10 years.It's obvious to me exactly why these mother's are ducking the health care system as it's often asking for help that results in these mothers having to fight child services to get their kids back.When you consider that a lot of the addicts on our streets are from the child welfare system.That is the very last place that a child should wind up.I've seen a lot of really sick things that have happened in addict homes but I know a whole lot more from the children's aid society.The newspapers are eating up this "new"group that's preaching abstinence to any and every one that will listen.They've gotten more press out of one so called meeting of experts than all the harm reduction meetings in the whole year.I write letters to the papers but when they don't print them it feels like having a door slammed in your face.I'm afraid we're entering into another of those backward periods where the forces of intolerance can spout the most obscene prattle and people are listening.There's little doubt that our mayor has joined the side of the great unwashed and has been stringing us in the reform movement along all the time.Not surprising as he's never met a voter he won't try to please when in their presence.The health officer for the school district has announced that kids are using less drugs and alcohol.Of course sedentary lifestyle and obesity are worse than ever.Maybe they'll make sloth illegal and health food and exercise mandatory.Or manipulate the statistics to say something else?It'll be illegal to possess tobacco in federal prisons on may 1'08.It's already illegal to smoke in any public building or within 15 feet of any door or window.Let's just trade tobacco for pot and call it even.Big brother is watching just about everyone.