Peaceful measures: Canada's way out of the 'War on drugs'

420 Pages·1990·48.369 MB·English

by  Bruce K. Alexander

Bruce K.Alexander
the'War
Digitized by the Internet Archive
2012
in
http://archive.org/details/peacefulmeasuresOObruc
PEACEFUL MEASURES:
Canada's Way Out ofthe 'War on Drugs'

PEA CEFUL
MEASURES
Way
Canada's
Out
of the
'War on Drugs'
BRUCE ALEXANDER
K.
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS
Toronto Buffalo London
University ofToronto Press 1990
Toronto Buffalo London
Printed in Canada
ISBN 0-8020-2722-9 (cloth)
ISBN 0-8020-6753-0 (paper)
Printed on acid-free paper
Canadian Cataloguingin Publication Data
Alexander, Bruce K.
Peaceful measures: Canada's way outofthe 'Waron drugs'
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8020-2722-9 (bound). - ISBN 0-8020-6753-0 (pbk.)
I. Drug abuse - Canada. I. Title.
HV5840.C3A73 1990 362.29'i5'097i C90-093681-9
Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Vll
INTRODUCTION ix
1 Is There a 'War on Drugs'? 3
2 The Faces ofFailure: Three Aspects ofthe War on Drugs 52
3 Drug Use, Dependence, and Addiction in Canada 94
4 A Fresh Look at Heroin 129
5 Cocaine: Dr Freud and Dr Gold 167
6 ASA-like Drugs 216
7 Addiction without Drugs 235
8 The Causes ofNegative Addiction 255
9 Alternatives to the War on Drugs for Canada 292
10 Why The War on Drugs Continues and How It Can End 326
REFERENCES 349
INDEX 389
This book is dedicated to my mother and father,
ELSA AND HENRY ALEXANDER.
Acknowledgments
Thisbookowesmuchtocolleagues atSimonFraserUniversity whohave
conducted research with me, listened to my ranting, read my manu-
scripts, and volunteered crucial ideas and references. Many of these
colleagues were students who, I hope, learnedfromme as I learned from
them. Generous colleagues at other universities in Canada, the United
States, Europe, andAustraliahave fulfilledthe same functionsfromvery
long distances with letters, phone calls, and occasional meetings.
As well, this book owes much to the members of a grass-roots
organization called the Concerned Citizens Drug Study and Education
Society, ofBumaby, bc. Some ofthese concerned citizens are doctors,
lawyers, academics, andothermembersofmainstreamsociety. Someare
long-time heroin and methadone addicts. This has allowed for a unique
collaboration, combining information from professional circles with
observations from some ofthe darker streets and alleys of Vancouver.
A number ofpolicemen have also made essential contributions to this
book. Someofthesehavebeen studentsattheuniversity, andothershave
visited my classes year afteryear to tell theirstories publicly and discuss
themwithmeprivately. Thepolicemenwhohavevisitedmyclasseshave
putupwithsome abuse, becauseIhavetoldthe studentsthatmuchinlaw
is wrong and some ofwhat the police have done is unconscionable. The
students didnothesitate topass these views ontothepolice, with abitof
theirownemphasis. Thepolicecouldhaveshunnedtheseencounters, but
instead they patiently explained their side ofthe story, corrected errors,
andadmitted some mistakes (althoughthe latterwas mostlydone outside
the class-room and this material is used in the book only in guarded
viii Acknowledgments
ways). These policemen have given me the confidence that this book
should be published, even ifthey might deny some parts of it.
Inpubliclyacknowledging someofthepeoplewhohavecontributedto
the book, I hope also to convey my gratitude to others who, for various
reasons, have notbeennamed. Thanks toPaul Alexander, MurrayAllen,
Alice Arce, Frank Archer, Kim Bartholomew, Barry Beyerstein, Judith
Blackwell, Mark Brunke, Greg Chesher, Robert Coambs, Peter Cohen,
Charles Crawford, John Damron, Glen Davies, Gary Dawes, Steve
Dawydiak, Patricia Erickson, Susan Evans, R.L. Foster, Richard
Freeman, Howard Gabert, Patricia Hadaway, Ted Harrison, Patricia
Holbom, Dion Horvat, Shelley Horvat, Ivan Illich, Jenny Jones, Colby
Lewis, Wendi Chui Fun Lewis, Ken Low, Teresa Maclnnes, Mary
Mclnnes, John Morgan, Stanton Peele, Bruce Petrie, Guy Richmond,
Alex and Michael Roy, John Russell, Brenda and Pete Schneider, Tony
Schweighofer, Michael Scott, Stefa Shaler, Shepard Siegel, Julian
Somers, Benjamin Staat, Wendy Staat, Don Todd, Malcolm Toms,
Arnold Trebach, Wayne Tressel, Gail Weisbeck, Govert van de
Wijngaart, Patricia Wilensky, and the late Norman Zinberg. A special
thank-you to Linda S. Wong fora summerofseven-day workweeks that
gotthemanuscripttothepublisherontimeandtoPatriciaHolbomwhose
contributions to this project cannot be counted.
Finally, much ofwhat I value in this book belongs to those cherished
friends and relatives whose thoughts have turned me and it in new,
unexpected directions and whose affectionhas sustained me throughout.