News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: LTE: Addressing Addictions Requires Discussion |
| Title: | CN BC: LTE: Addressing Addictions Requires Discussion |
| Published On: | 2010-04-01 |
| Source: | Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2010-04-02 10:59:07 |
ADDRESSING ADDICTIONS REQUIRES DISCUSSION
To the Editor,
Re: Residents want conversation with VIHA, March 27.
Ad hoc approaches to our community's drug abuse problem, such as that
proposed by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, are more likely to
be counter-productive than a strategy that integrates the interests of
all the players which means every last one of us.
Since the province slashed the VIHA budget by $45 million, CEO Howard
Waldner and the board of directors have been scrambling to enact cost
saving measures without angering the public.
Some of the measures have been successful, but their one-off "harm
reduction" program for drug addicts is unlikely to be one of them.
A non-integrated harm reduction program like that announced by VIHA
has a 'normalizing' effect on street drug use. It makes it safer and
easier to abuse harmful drugs. It makes it a little more OK.
It does nothing to reduce drug use. It does nothing to reduce property
crime and prostitution which are prerequisites of street drug use.
In fact, because VIHA is making it a little safer, easier and
therefore 'normal', it could be said they are contributing to an
increase in property and other crimes.
VIHA is doing nothing to supply the drugs for which they are creating
a more acceptable use.
Part of their message must therefore be, "After you have pulled a B&E
and bought your drugs from organized crime, come to our facility to
safely shoot up so that we may save a little money on your future
health care for the drug addiction that will eventually kill you but
hopefully with fewer hospital stays."
Please VIHA, talk to the police and Crown prosecutors, talk to the
Ministry for Children and Family Development, talk to the
neighbourhood groups and Ministry of Health contractors. They are all
working on the same problem and with the same blinders that you are.
Get it together folks. The drug epidemic gets worse every day and the
general public sees very poor value indeed for the enormous sums of
our taxes expended. There must be a better way.
Brian Blood
Nanaimo
To the Editor,
Re: Residents want conversation with VIHA, March 27.
Ad hoc approaches to our community's drug abuse problem, such as that
proposed by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, are more likely to
be counter-productive than a strategy that integrates the interests of
all the players which means every last one of us.
Since the province slashed the VIHA budget by $45 million, CEO Howard
Waldner and the board of directors have been scrambling to enact cost
saving measures without angering the public.
Some of the measures have been successful, but their one-off "harm
reduction" program for drug addicts is unlikely to be one of them.
A non-integrated harm reduction program like that announced by VIHA
has a 'normalizing' effect on street drug use. It makes it safer and
easier to abuse harmful drugs. It makes it a little more OK.
It does nothing to reduce drug use. It does nothing to reduce property
crime and prostitution which are prerequisites of street drug use.
In fact, because VIHA is making it a little safer, easier and
therefore 'normal', it could be said they are contributing to an
increase in property and other crimes.
VIHA is doing nothing to supply the drugs for which they are creating
a more acceptable use.
Part of their message must therefore be, "After you have pulled a B&E
and bought your drugs from organized crime, come to our facility to
safely shoot up so that we may save a little money on your future
health care for the drug addiction that will eventually kill you but
hopefully with fewer hospital stays."
Please VIHA, talk to the police and Crown prosecutors, talk to the
Ministry for Children and Family Development, talk to the
neighbourhood groups and Ministry of Health contractors. They are all
working on the same problem and with the same blinders that you are.
Get it together folks. The drug epidemic gets worse every day and the
general public sees very poor value indeed for the enormous sums of
our taxes expended. There must be a better way.
Brian Blood
Nanaimo
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