NO TO 'SAFE' SITES FOR METH USERS

The Editor,

Re: "Do we need 'safe' sites for crystal meth users?," the Now, April 8.

During his stay on earth Jesus Christ dispensed some truly divine
advice when he directed us to "do unto others as you would have
others do unto you." (Matthew 7:12).

After reading about the idea of safe injection sites I get the
impression that Mr. Bayanzadeh is a most kind-hearted man who is
very concerned about curbing infections and diseases among crystal
meth addicts. He wants to be pro-active by educating young people
not to touch the deadly stuff - and hopes to see an increase in
long-term addiction facilities. That's good. However, with a view to
these honourable goals and Christ's instructions about how to best
treat our neighbours, I fail to see how safe injection
sites benefit our addicted fellow citizens.

From the perspective of a crystal meth addict, is it not two-faced
and cruel to send the message that it is actually OK to inject the
lethal substance,'but it's better done when the risk of infection is
minimal? The last thing an addict needs is someone who facilitates
his addiction in any way. Providing safe injection sites to addicts
is as unacceptable as providing strong, tested rope to someone
contemplating suicide. It makes no logical sense! We are to help
them out of their misery, not sustain them in that misery.
The bottom line: no "safe" injection sites!

In addition, whenever we do to others as we would like them do to
us, our neighbourhoods benefit by remaining safer. It is becoming
increasingly obvious that Surrey's Front Room is a model of outreach
that is less than effective, simply because it enables the homeless
and addicted to remain in that state, while mentally ill people fail
to get the treatment they actually need. So it is with any safe
injection site. When addicts are enabled to shoot up, get high and,
in the case of crystal meth, become dangerously erratic and violent
in their behaviour, the Fraser Health Authority becomes
co-responsible for increasingly unsafe neighbourhoods.

Instead, the Fraser Health Authority's should focus on the provision
of comprehensive prevention and care, in line with the Hippocratic
oath, to which health leaders and workers adhere. It states that "I
will remember that I treat ... a sick human being, whose illness may
affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility
includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the
sick." (Hippocratic Oath - Modern Version, 1964). Then they would
truly be doing for others what they'd like to have others do for them.

Heres Snijder

Surrey