IT'S ABOUT REDUCING HARM

The WRHA is encouraging the practice of harm reduction.

Tom Brodbeck seems to think that if people are told not to do
something, they will surely take that advice. The problems associated
with addictions cannot be dealt with in such an easy fashion.

Most people would agree that the last thing they intend to do is stick
needles into their own body. In the case of "recreational drug
injection," an individual may have been told about the high. They want
to know what it feels like and so they allow the other person to
inject them. They get the high and begin to chase it.

The WRHA knows the dear cost of this. There is death by accidental
overdose. This might be prevented if people "test" the drug as
recommended. Not shooting up alone also can save lives.

There are other related hospital admissions. Not finding a vein or
using an old needle can lead to some very wicked abscesses. These take
quite a long time to clear up and involve health care for some long
periods of time. The spread of HIV and hep C are high in the area of
IV drug users.

These individuals are given encouragement to quit and offered
assistance in quitting and the pamphlet and the crack pipe kit from
their health-care provider.

Harm reduction is just that. It is saying, "we know that you use, we
know that you will continue to use and we want you to survive."

Sandy Belisle

Winnipeg

(Just don't leave out the funeral pamphlet.)