Pubdate: Thu, 01 Apr 2010 Source: Nanaimo News Bulletin (CN BC) Copyright: 2010, BC Newspaper Group Contact: http://www.nanaimobulletin.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/948 Author: Brian Blood ADDRESSING ADDICTIONS REQUIRES DISCUSSION To the Editor, Re: Residents want conversation with VIHA, March 27. Ad hoc approaches to our community's drug abuse problem, such as that proposed by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, are more likely to be counter-productive than a strategy that integrates the interests of all the players which means every last one of us. Since the province slashed the VIHA budget by $45 million, CEO Howard Waldner and the board of directors have been scrambling to enact cost saving measures without angering the public. Some of the measures have been successful, but their one-off "harm reduction" program for drug addicts is unlikely to be one of them. A non-integrated harm reduction program like that announced by VIHA has a 'normalizing' effect on street drug use. It makes it safer and easier to abuse harmful drugs. It makes it a little more OK. It does nothing to reduce drug use. It does nothing to reduce property crime and prostitution which are prerequisites of street drug use. In fact, because VIHA is making it a little safer, easier and therefore 'normal', it could be said they are contributing to an increase in property and other crimes. VIHA is doing nothing to supply the drugs for which they are creating a more acceptable use. Part of their message must therefore be, "After you have pulled a B&E and bought your drugs from organized crime, come to our facility to safely shoot up so that we may save a little money on your future health care for the drug addiction that will eventually kill you but hopefully with fewer hospital stays." Please VIHA, talk to the police and Crown prosecutors, talk to the Ministry for Children and Family Development, talk to the neighbourhood groups and Ministry of Health contractors. They are all working on the same problem and with the same blinders that you are. Get it together folks. The drug epidemic gets worse every day and the general public sees very poor value indeed for the enormous sums of our taxes expended. There must be a better way. Brian Blood Nanaimo - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D