Letter: Variety of treatments needed for those struggling with addiction

By Letter to the Editor on February 17, 2023.

Dear editor,

Over the past few years our provincial government in Alberta has been moving from the harm reduction model for addiction to the recovery model. No one model is perfect and there are different people who will meet success in either one. It depends on what substance they are addicted to, the personality of the addict and their life experiences.

For the Alberta government to favour one treatment over another is disconcerting. It seems like there is a new ‘war on drugs’ to take care of the rise of the ‘social disorder’ that the people who use drugs are creating.

We need a variety of treatments for people with addictions because it is a disease, not a lack of control on their part. We can not just wean them off their drugs and give them exercises and good food, and teach them how to reframe their thoughts and expect them to get over years of trauma.

I hope that the government listens to advocates at the various rallies over the next few weeks. Everyone knows someone in active addiction, this affects every Albertan.

Diane MacNaughton

Redcliff

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