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Addiction not uncivilized, it’s an illness

It is not OK to degrade those in need of its services.
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Addiction not uncivilized, it’s an illness

Yes. A big thank you to protesters for being the voice of (some) of “our children” and thank you to those who “cleaned” up York Street during the protest against the proposed Wellness and Recovery Centre. However, naming the place as “uncivilized” is to forget that the Diagnostics and Statistics Manual IV categorizes Substance Use Disorder as a terrible multifactorial illness.

We need to address it.

To name people suffering from any disease “uncivilized”, is the very definition of incivility. It is cruel and irresponsible.

It is OK to not want a recovery centre in our neighbourhoods, it is not OK to degrade those in need of its services.

If not us, who? If not here, where?

Sincerely,

Tennille Kay

Duncan