Pubdate: Tue, 20 Sep 2005
Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 The Abbotsford Times
Contact:  http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009
Author: Jon MacKay
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

TIME TO TAKE HARM-REDUCTION ADVICE FROM THOSE WHO KNOW

THE EDITOR:

How long can the city of Abbotsford continue to deny services to people 
with substance misuse problems and think that they are doing them a favour?

Recent reports from Vancouver's health and police officials have again 
confirmed the positive effect that their safe-injection site is having on 
crime reduction and in saving lives.

It was just two months ago when a zoning amendment blocking harm-reduction 
services passed a fourth reading in Abbotsford's council and the Abbotsford 
Times quoted MP Randy White as saying: "These services must be exposed for 
what they truly are: dangerous, temporary, contrary to the values of most 
Canadians and certainly to the residents of Abbotsford."

I would like to know where city officials are getting their facts from and 
why they refuse to accept the reports of professionals confirming that 
harm-reduction services save lives. Statements such as the one quoted above 
are simply unfounded and are not representative of the values of Canadians. 
I would argue that most Canadians value human life even if they are an addict.

As harsh as it may sound, to not agree with providing services for addicts 
is to not value their lives as human beings. If people are dying and we 
have the means to save them, how can we justify not helping them?

I may not agree with the choices a drug addict makes with his or her life 
but I do feel they deserve a chance to live. Hopefully, at some point they 
will turn their life around but even if they never do, we should at least 
have peace in knowing we afforded them every opportunity we could.

Jon MacKay

UCFV student 
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman