Dear Editor:

Regarding your cover story about ‘Harm Reduction’. Let’s not forget the actual and real victims in our community - the friends and family of the people who have chosen to use this toxic drug. This last week I lost my best friend and business partner to this drug. In actuality, he chose the drug over his friends, family and life. There is no sugar coating available for this. There is NEVER an excuse to even try this drug. To use is selfish and narcissistic. You willingly choose to kill the love and emotions of your friends and family. People make a choice - use or not. Choose to use and you willingly and consciously choose to emotionally harm everyone in your life. Enough with the outreach and understanding. The community needs to stand up and tell the users and dealers to move on. We will no longer tolerate the losses. You, the user, will lose your friends, family, job, home and stability. We, your loved ones, will lose the ability to trust or have faith in people and will lose someone with whom we have bonded in a very scary world. You, the user, do not have that right to take away our hope for tomorrow. Simply because you have chosen emotional and financial ruin and eventually death, do not take us with you on your self indulgent journey. Account for your actions. This is 2006. No more blaming society for it’s perceptions of us. You choose to use - you are not held down and injected with this insidious drug. Choose to live. Choose to be free. Choose to love. Take us on that journey with you.

Dave Moore