News (Media Awareness Project) - CN ON: Millions Spent Feeding Addicts Their Poison |
| Title: | CN ON: Millions Spent Feeding Addicts Their Poison |
| Published On: | 2002-04-09 |
| Source: | Toronto Sun (CN ON) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-24 12:49:41 |
MILLIONS SPENT FEEDING ADDICTS THEIR POISON
Thank Anne Golden's 1999 homelessness report, at least in part, for making
harm reduction the flavour of the moment to "treat" addicts living on the
streets.
Golden's $600,000 report proposed creating two harm reduction centres --
places that would allow addicts to use their drugs or alcohol -- plus a
team of counsellors to direct them there.
This year millions of dollars of city money will go towards giving safe
crack kits, clean needles, stacks of condoms and glasses of homemade wine
to crack and heroin addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and others to let them
pursue their addictions -- safely.
In mid-March, All Saints Church, which got a $50,000 city homeless grant
this year for harm reduction initiatives, held an all-day conference
promoting harm reduction.
At Seaton House, a harm reduction annex serves homemade wine hourly to
homeless alcoholics. Manager Boris Rosolak says 102 men are in the annex
right now but there are 140 beds in total, costing $80 per bed per day. The
average stay is 10 months.
Rosolak says by "facilitating" clients' addictive behaviour, Seaton House
can treat their health needs proactively, then work with core issues that
cause them to drink.
Over at Street Health on Dundas St. E., which got a $48,380 city grant for
harm reduction and AIDS prevention, condoms, clean needles, safe sex kits
and "safer crack use" kits are given out freely.
Executive director Laura Cowan says $1,500 of private donations went into
the crack kit but the city provides all of the condoms and money for AIDS
staffing, harm reduction workshops and written materials.
Lillian Freedman, a psychiatric social worker who's been involved with the
homeless for many years, says harm reduction programs are "trendy" but they
don't accomplish the range of things needed to encourage people to end
their addictions.
"They're helping you to stay alive while you kill yourself," she says.
"They're just doing a fraction of the job they should be doing if they
really cared for these people."
Thank Anne Golden's 1999 homelessness report, at least in part, for making
harm reduction the flavour of the moment to "treat" addicts living on the
streets.
Golden's $600,000 report proposed creating two harm reduction centres --
places that would allow addicts to use their drugs or alcohol -- plus a
team of counsellors to direct them there.
This year millions of dollars of city money will go towards giving safe
crack kits, clean needles, stacks of condoms and glasses of homemade wine
to crack and heroin addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and others to let them
pursue their addictions -- safely.
In mid-March, All Saints Church, which got a $50,000 city homeless grant
this year for harm reduction initiatives, held an all-day conference
promoting harm reduction.
At Seaton House, a harm reduction annex serves homemade wine hourly to
homeless alcoholics. Manager Boris Rosolak says 102 men are in the annex
right now but there are 140 beds in total, costing $80 per bed per day. The
average stay is 10 months.
Rosolak says by "facilitating" clients' addictive behaviour, Seaton House
can treat their health needs proactively, then work with core issues that
cause them to drink.
Over at Street Health on Dundas St. E., which got a $48,380 city grant for
harm reduction and AIDS prevention, condoms, clean needles, safe sex kits
and "safer crack use" kits are given out freely.
Executive director Laura Cowan says $1,500 of private donations went into
the crack kit but the city provides all of the condoms and money for AIDS
staffing, harm reduction workshops and written materials.
Lillian Freedman, a psychiatric social worker who's been involved with the
homeless for many years, says harm reduction programs are "trendy" but they
don't accomplish the range of things needed to encourage people to end
their addictions.
"They're helping you to stay alive while you kill yourself," she says.
"They're just doing a fraction of the job they should be doing if they
really cared for these people."
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