Pubdate: Fri, 26 Jul 2013
Source: Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Nanaimo Daily News
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1608
Author: Al Arsenault
Note: Al Arsenault is a founding member of Odd Squad Productions 
Society, which makes educational videos for youth about drugs. He was 
a 27-year veteran with the Vancouver Police Department and is a 
member of the International Task Force on Strategic Drug Policy.

WE OWE IT TO DRUG ADDICTS TO BE JUDGMENTAL

Although I wouldn't say that Cory Monteith died directly because of 
INSITE, I would say he met his demise because of the ideology that 
promotes the idea that poisons can be ingested in a supposedly 'safe' 
manner. It's poison regardless if a nurse is watching or not. This 
pro-drug stance Vancouver has taken promotes harm, as the drugs taken 
by Monteith (and yes being sold on the very doorstep of the SIS), 
were done so with an illusion of a reduced likelihood of harm or even death.

Just ask the beat cops (and even some of the SIS staff who are 
fearful of speaking) about the dealers working in front of the SIS.

But who wants to speak up when people like Licia Corbella, who merely 
offer opposing views, are threatened?

There is all this talk about curtailing drug-related diseases and 
overdose deaths through needle exchanges and drug injection sites as 
a harm reduction measure.

Abstinence is the ultimate harm reduction measure: Harm reduction 
without a treatment modality attached to it is a wasted effort. The 
SIS studies are highly suspect.

These "studies" are scientism at its best as the researchers are all 
big advocates of the site who have been getting millions of dollars 
to promote the harm reduction message.

Doesn't anyone who funds these guys and The Lancet who publishes 
their studies see this obvious bias?

Coerced treatment is just as effective as voluntary treatment, but 
that would mean that we would have to be judgmental about their drug 
usage (not who they are as people) . . . and such judgments attack 
the core of this growth factor of the junkie industry. It is false 
compassion indeed. Addicts need the cure, not the poison; the secret 
to beating addiction is hard work through decent treatment. Drug 
addiction is all about the loss of human potential and to give them 
boxes of needles in lieu of treatment is shameful. The rich get 
treatment and the poor get harm reduction.

What is really needed are solid drug prevention measures and decent 
long-term treatment. It's hard work to be sure, but these efforts 
would far better resolve all of these problems. What addicts want are 
free needles, lots of drugs, and a place to shoot up, because they 
are "not ready to quit."

What they need is treatment. Bleeding hearts, and legalizers, pander 
to the lowest common denominator and facilitate drug use to make them 
feel compassionate, and further their cause.

The Vancouver experience has been a dismal failure with hundreds dead 
and very high rates of disease, and look at the amputees hobbling 
around down there now.

Coerced treatment works as well as voluntary treatment and I see no 
government-sponsored treatment centers as sweet and sexy as our drug 
injection site. It's hard to find treatment in the shadow of harm 
reduction (watch part 5/7 of this video 
clip-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE_Bz6rpia4  7 minute mark) for 
some real 'insight' into this mess).

"Adams said the staff screen clients and are 'very astute as to who 
is a first-time user and who is not.' "

Watch this 'Streets of Plenty' clip to show what an utter lie this 
statement is. Addicts are so drug addled as to be unable to see that 
there is hope for salvaging their human potential. What is the excuse 
for the blindness shown by those in the 'junkie industry,' besides 
making a living off the backs of these poor unfortunates so 
desperately needing help?

We owe it to addicts to be judgmental, not about who they are as 
people, rather, about how their drug-related behaviour is costing 
themselves, their families and society at large.

To do anything else lacks compassion and moral fibre.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom