Creating mandatory minimum sentences for various drug crimes is the latest tough on crime proposal from the Tories. They say that mandatory minimums will send a clear message that dealing drugs will not be tolerated. Community health organizations, along with many others, have a different opinion. They point to a wide range of evidence that shows that mandatory minimums actually make communities less safe and expose more people to the risk of disease. Stark Raven interviews Glyn Townson. He is the chair of the BC Persons With Aids Society.

For a written analysis of the issue check out a paper by the Canadian HIV AIDS Legal Network: Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offences: Why Everyone Loses