Favourite spot for drug addicts
published: Friday | September 24, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I had to conduct business in New Kingston a few times this week. Twice, after a long morning, I decided to get something to eat in the surrounding area. For some reason Knutsford Boulevard which houses most of the restaurants in the area, seems to be a favorite hangout spot for drug addicts. The first day I observed about six dazed men and women clad in dirty clothes on one block of the street. From a distance I could see that a number of other such persons were further down the road.

What is the business community in the area doing about this situation? It is certainly not good for business at all. The second day after unavoidably taking in the offensive odour of quite a few of these addicts who were either sleeping on the pavement or staring into space, I simply could not eat the food I purchased.

It was rather traumatic to see my fellow Jamaicans living like that, but it also had me thinking about the situation a great deal. I have decided that if I do not absolutely need to go to New Kingston then I simply won't. But what about the persons who work in the area? And what about the businesses that lure their clients in the area? If something is not done to effectively address this problem, businesses in the area will undoubtedly begin to suffer. Come on corporate citizens, it is time to act!

I am, etc.

AVA-DAWN WALKER

awalker@opm.gov.jm

Kingston 8