Editor:
I was pleased to see in the editorial in last week’s edition (“A take of two public health emergencies”) the reference to “drug toxicity deaths” rather than “overdose deaths.” It seems obvious to me and, I am sure many others, that most of these deaths are caused by poisoning from unknown additives in illegal drugs. It irks me greatly that most politicians and media outlets continue to refer to them as “overdose deaths,” which further stigmatizes the victims of the abominable crime of mass poisoning. It seems reasonable to me that it is logical that they be referred to as “toxicity” or “poisoning” rather than “overdose deaths,” as demonstrated in last week’s editorial.
As an intentional toxicity death is a criminal offence, I do not understand why I have not heard of any charges or convictions for same, and why the distributors of these toxic drugs are not pursued more vigorously.
Can it be that the costs of pursuing these perpetrators is too high to justify because their victims are “only” drug addicts, many of whom are in the lower economic stratum of our society?
Gordon Catherwood, Gibsons
