MORE SAFE-INJECTION SITES NEEDED TO AID ADDICTS

I believe there should be safe-injection sites in every city.

I recently lost my best friend for the second time. The first was when
she went onto the streets of Vancouver nine years ago.

The second was her death from an accidental overdose in
May.

The last time I spoke to Sandi, she was in the Vancouver safe-
injection site.

She had just used the facility and was getting her needles -- she
lived in New Westminster and travelled downtown to visit it.

The worker at the site she was talking to at the time seemed really
nice, not snotty or judgmental. She was laughing with Sandi.

That worker had just run into another person we know and had told her
to get out of the alley and into the nearby safe-injection site.

I sure hope she listened to her, because I am not sure if she knows
that Sandi passed away not 10 days later.

When we were cleaning up Sandi's basement suite, we came across her
needles and sent them back to the needle exchange.

If only we could convince users to use the site, it would definitely
clean up the look of downtown Vancouver. Keep that site open and open
others.

Sandi, rest in peace, my friend.

Carla Turgeon

Chilliwack