Letter opposing drug program filled with misinformaion, disrespect
Re: “Safe drug supply pilot will be disastrous”, (Citizen, July 23)
Out of curiosity, but [does the letter writer] believe that when Johnny and Suzie were little, and their teacher asked them what they wanted to be when they grew up, they said a drug addict, because you make it sound like being an addict is a choice.
Most drug addicts become addicts due to mental illness, abuse — sexual, physical or emotional, or some kind of major trauma; they don’t just wake up one day and decide to be an addict, so maybe people should have a bit more compassion or empathy.
As far as your understanding of the study that will be done here in the Valley using clean opioids, maybe you should read the entire article before commenting on it, and assuming things that are completely wrong. First off, this study is for 25 participants only, they must be willing to commit to a two year program were they are subject to drug screenings daily, and who have tried to quit drugs with at least one opioid replacement program already — so someone who has tried methadone, suboxone or clean heroin, but were unable to quit, or relapsed back into addiction. This isn’t an open door study where anyone who wants free drugs can have them.
This study, has been used in a number of Canadian and European countries already, and has proven to be an effective alternative treatment for addiction. If you can’t see how getting people off drugs, even if it means they are taking cheaper clean opioids for the rest of their lives, will help reduce the costs our local, provincial and federal governments are paying out already, then you are naive and shortsighted. Can you even imagine how much money we could save by not having to hire more police, or EMTs or by buying boxes and boxes of Naloxone? Or how much businesses could reinvest into themselves if they weren’t having to replace windows or pay insurance rate hikes? As many other countries have already proven, treating addiction with empathy, compassion and effective treatment plans are what works, not negativity, and disrespect that your letter is filled with.
C. Parlee
Duncan