Pubdate: Tue, 08 Jul 2014
Source: Peterborough Examiner, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2014 Peterborough Examiner
Contact: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/letters
Website: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2616
Author: Rosana Pellizzari
Note: Dr. Rosana Pellizzari is medical officer of health at the 
Peterborough County-City Health Unit, www.pcchu.ca
Page: A4
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

METHADONE CLINICS ARE HELPING, NOT ENABLING

Recent local conversation about a methadone clinic moving into the 
old Shoppers Drug Mart building downtown suggests the need to pause 
and explore some of the reasons and research behind why PCCHU 
supports a collaborative Made-in-Peterborough drug strategy that 
embraces harm reduction alongside our prevention, treatment and 
enforcement efforts.

The term "harm reduction" refers to evidence-based strategies such as 
providing clean needles, methadone treatment or Naloxone. It's fully 
understandable why some people may view harm reduction as 
counterproductive and controversial. After all, aren't we just 
enabling "those people" to continue using harmful drugs that are 
often illegal? But strong, conclusive research and many decades of 
practical experience have taught us that harm reduction efforts work 
to reduce the harms and associated costs of substance misuse.

As long as we talk about "those" people, we shut people down with 
stigma. The truth is that "those people" is really "we, the people, 
the community" because most of us have friends or family members who 
use and misuse substances, whether it is nicotine, alcohol, 
marijuana, or prescription drugs; the reality is that like any other 
disease, addiction does not discriminate.

It may be easier to understand harm reduction when it is applied to 
the use of motor vehicles. People who drive motor vehicles are 
constantly choosing to engage in risky behaviour like speeding or 
using a cellphone. This risky behaviour causes collisions that result 
in injuries, trauma, decreased quality of life, and death. Rather 
than require people to stop driving, a harm reduction approach 
includes the mandatory use of seat belts, setting blood alcohol 
limits, and building divided highways with paved shoulders; all of 
which have proven to reduce deaths and associated harms. In these 
cases, "those people" who engage in risky motor vehicle use are known 
to us - they are our friends, family, and neighbours.

Language can be a powerful, yet subtle weapon. Referring to people 
with an addiction by using the language of "users," "addicts" or 
"those people" and not considering the whole person is stigmatizing 
and limits what the individual believes about themselves and they can 
achieve. Let's together call stigma what it really is: A violation of 
human rights, an expression of prejudice and discrimination, a 
roadblock to the kind of inclusive and compassionate community we want to be.

In the time I have lived here, I have come to know Peterborough as a 
diverse community held together with the glue of strong social 
networks, service clubs, faith communities, community leaders and 
organizations. The fact that we have a local drug strategy, based on 
the four pillars of prevention, treatment, harm reduction and 
enforcement contributes to the possibility that we can build a 
healthier community. What more can we do?

We can organize movements like "Courage Peterborough" to combat 
harassment and discrimination; we can create safe spaces for 
individuals to speak about their illness, their addictions and their 
challenges without fear of reprisal; we can encourage the sharing of 
stories to educate each other and to address biases and stereotypes.

We can make it a priority to better understand harm reduction 
programs like methadone clinics and to support agencies like the 
Peterborough AIDS Reduction Network (PARN), one of our four 
Peterborough Drug Strategy partners. The health unit depends on PARN 
to ensure that clean needles are available and that we reach people 
at high risk of opioid overdose with lifesaving Naloxone.

That's a start. There's always more. The people in this community 
have shown much compassion and a strong desire to build and invest in 
resiliency.

Peterborough is blessed with resources, advocates, partnerships and 
openhearted, open minded folks that are working to reduce stigma and 
free people from their labels. We have a great deal to be proud of.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom