NURSE PROVIDES PERSPECTIVE ON SAFE INJECTION SITE DEBATE ADDICTION

To the editor:

As a registered nurse who did my public-health nursing in the Downtown
Eastside now living on welfare disability, I'm familiar with what Coun.
Jennifer Clarke refers to as the "desperate cycle of addiction" ("Coun.
Clarke responds to drug issue criticism," Letters, May 5).

I am gratified that she clarified her position regarding the four-pillar
approach to Vancouver's drug issue. While she's right that "the addict,
after fixing in the clean site, still has to go back out into the street,"
she fails to mention that the addict is probably also one of thousands
living with the legislated poverty of welfare. It's just as important to
include adequate resources for food and shelter as treatment and law
enforcement in "the mix" Ms. Clarke envisions.

Since landing on welfare, with the added perspective of being a health
professional, I have discovered that the policies and procedures of the
Ministry of Human Resources indeed create a drain on health-care reserves.
They create "disease" and, for an addict, this adds further insult to
injury by creating an obstacle to recovery from addiction. In order to get
with the program, governments are going to have to address legislated poverty.

Liz Stonard,
Vancouver