So what can we do? Well, fist step is to get involved in civil elections and elect people like Larry O'Brien and not reelect people like Philippe Lucas who thinks the solution to the problem is to hand out free crack pipes. Obviously, that is not working. You don't use tax dollars to buy alcohol for alcoholics. That is not in the addicts best interest and it certainly isn't in societies best interest.
I saw the problems in Victoria when residents were complaining that the needle exchange wasn't an exchange any more. The idea behind a needle exchange was an addict trades in a used needle for a new one in attempts to stop needles from ending up all over the streets and play grounds. Then some brain surgeon changed it to sheer distribution of free needles so used needles were being dumped everywhere at taxpayers expense. That is insane.
Then you have the problematic nature of enforcing drug laws when you have a needle exchange. You can't really charge someone for selling heroine if you are handing out free needles in that area so the drug laws aren't enforced. You sure can't arrest someone for using a needle the government just gave them for free.
And of course if you're letting people use and sell heroin in the area you can't really say heroin is OK but crack or meth isn't. So as soon as a needle exchange starts up the use and distribution of crack becomes rampant. Especially when they let addicts inject cocaine in the Vancouver safe injection site.
It is clear that these programs are not working. It is clear that addictions are increasing as is the crime associated with feeding a drug addiction. What we are doing is insane. We need to draw a line between pot and crack. Stop handing out free crack pipes. Needle exchanges are exchanges. If someone doesn't hand in a used needle they don't get a new needle.
We need to stop letting people smoke crack in public and we need to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for selling crack or meth and enforce them. It is really that simple. That is the New York model. I saw it work.
Social housing yes. Free drugs no.
Homes not Drugs. That is social responsibility.
The word is 'heroin' not 'heroine'. A heroine is the feminine form of 'hero'. You have an interesting blog. I think you're wrong on how to deal with the problem of drug addiction in our society, and I would suggest you research the word of Dr Gabor Mate and others to educate yourself a little further, but I commend your courage in exposing the gangster scum that feed off the misery of addiction.
ReplyDeleteThanks, yeah my spelling sucks. I’ve had that one mixed up before. I always find it interesting how when someone disagrees with the feed addictions doctrine they need to be educated into thinking their way is right. I’m just speaking from what I’ve seen. New York City had the same crack problems we have now back in the /80’s.
ReplyDeleteEveryone talks about how New York has changed and how safe it is now. They didn’t do it by feeding addiction. They did it by confronting the gangs and the dealers. I don’t agree with being hard on the addicts. I just don’t think feeding addiction is right. I will agree that the gangs are exploiting the addicts.
I'm not hear to convince you of anything. However, I do think that anyone with an interest in addictions should read this book:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.drgabormate.com/ghosts.php
Keep up the good work, and stay safe.
I’ll have a peek, but I just don’t agree with handing out free crack pipes. To me that sends out the wrong message. If they can use methadone to get addicts of heroin, then they can use BC bud to get addicts off crack. Feeding crack addiction is no different than feeding alcoholism.
ReplyDeleteCertainly there are psychological reasons for addictions. Yet if the climate doesn’t change the addicts won’t have a chance to address those psychological concerns. I used to volunteer at Harbour Light in east van. One day we asked where one of the guys on the detox program was. He fell off the wagon so to speak. It is really hard for anyone to overcome a crack addiction in east van when everywhere you go people are in your face yelling Crack, Crack, Crack. Wanna buy some Crack? You either get the crack dealers of the street and stop them from being so invasive, or your remove the addict from that environment.
For a doctor to say we have to hand out free crack pipes because addicts share pipes and can get germs from using a shared pipe is in my opinion insane and the prime example of how our compassion has become a simple matter of becoming enablers. One reformed drug addict in Surrey once said the best thing for a chronic offender who steals to support his drug habit is to lock him up in jail away from the drug for three months. I agree. Giving someone less jail time the more crimes they commit is insane as is buying them the drugs with tax dollars. We might as well be handing out free guns with free bullets.