STIMULANT ADDICTS DESERVE DETOX, TOO

It's interesting that directly after Jody Paterson's column indicating
that Victoria's 21 new detox beds will not accept stimulant (crack and
crystal meth) users, Vancouver Island Health Authority's director of
mental health and addictions, Allan Campbell, contradicts his own
director of addictions, Dr. Laurence Bosley, by insisting that the new
facility will accept detox clients regardless of the substance used.
Perhaps he and the head of the facility should communicate.

As an addictions worker, I've not been able to take stimulant users to
adult detox for several years. I've been told at various times that
they do not require a medical setting to detox in because their life
is not at risk, and I had the same answer this week that Paterson did.

Campbell's letter also added that the admission criteria include
whether a patient's withdrawal symptoms will pose a serious health
risk during the detox process, which by VIHA's own admission, seems
just another way of saying, "so we will not be accepting any of those
disruptive downtown stimulant users here."

Crystal meth addicts generally require longer periods of detox and a
calm, safe environment during withdrawal, along with an intensive
physical and mental health assessment, as they are weak, damaged,
aggressive and irritable.

In my opinion, this constitutes an urgent need for medical management
and supportive withdrawal and VIHA should reverse it's discriminatory
policy immediately. Instead of half a ward of empty detox beds, maybe
they should start treating some of our sickest street people properly
and give them at least an opportunity to get well.

Marilyn Erickson

Addictions outreach worker

Victoria