Consumption site will save lives
By Letter to the Editor on February 23, 2019.
I have been thinking about the community meeting I attended on the supervised consumption site in Medicine Hat on Feb. 13. I went to listen with an open mind to those who oppose it and support those who want it. It occurs to me that problem is that not everyone accepts every person into their community equally here and that is a sad state of affairs. Drugs is not a new thing in downtown Medicine Hat. It is just the opioid crisis that is new. Harm reduction is new. People use illegal drugs in every area of Medicine Hat and every social class. If it doesn’t affect someone you know you are lucky. If you think a supervised consumption site is enabling someone, you don’t know anything about addiction. Someone has to be ready to quit. The supervised consumption site is meant to be safe. Keep them safe and alive until they think they will feel worthy enough that they will want to change. One of my worst qualities is that I see everyone the same whether you are rich or poor, educated or not, taking drugs or not. People are all the same to me. We are here to get along and help each other. I do not understand people who do not see people as one big community. Diane MacNaughton Medicine Hat 9-8
Many times for “society” to break an addiction (if that’s our role) is to do an actual intervention and try to break the cycle of abuse. That is why I question and will always question why this “safe-use” is not located near the new “detox and treatment” center. At least there people can seek counseling or intervention for recovery if that’s the intentions of the government.
One of two things will happen with this or any “safe-use” site is either it will not be used as much as intended because most “addicts” will us their drug of choice as quickly as possible. So if people think the addict will buy or acquire their drug in Crescent Heights and then take transit or drive their vehicle to a safe-site to use their drug, it may be them that are uninformed about addiction. So considering many addicts will use near the time of getting their drug, this as with any “safe use” location will be a magnet for dealers and that is the issue and concerns for some of the businesses and residents in this area.
Addiction is nothing new in any society and the answers are never as simple as people think. The answers are even more complicated when politicians start to use the “crisis” for political points.