Vancouver BC took a bold step forward today by opening a safe injection site, staffed by qualified medical personnel, for heroin and cocaine addicts. City police have agreed to not search or bother the drug addicts going in there but they have said they will bust any dealers hanging around - no "bubble zone". By doing so Vancouver joins 27 other cities around the world who are taking a positive step to try and improve the lives, safety and health of drug addicts. If an addict ODs while at the site there will be nurses there who can take immediate action and likely save the person's life.
I commend city council for going forward with this project in face of stiff opposition from many places. No doubt the current mayor having been an RCMP officer and the city's Chief Coroner at other points in his career (He was the model and inspiration for the CBC crime drama series Da Vinci's Inquest") didn't hurt in getting he message across - a safe injection site was a plank in his mayoralty campaign.
Apparantly John Walters, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, America's so called Drug Czar, was a bit miffed at Vancouver for this action. Well here's a message for you John
I personally think that the idea of these sites is a waste of tax payers money. What about the the money that is no where to be found for health care? Instead of placing all the money into aiding addictions with their fixes, why not place that money into healthcare where people are dying involunatirly? just a thought...wonder if ne one else feels the same way....
Posted by: Confuzed and Wondering... on September 24, 2003 07:56 PMI personally think that the idea of these sites is a waste of tax payers money. What about the the money that is no where to be found for health care? Instead of placing all the money into aidding addictions with their fixes, why not place that money into healthcare where people are dying involunatirly? just a thought...woinder if ne one else feels the same way....
Posted by: Student @ Burnaby North on September 24, 2003 07:57 PMThe only way to reach people who are addicted is through outreach programs. The addicted are not going to go looking for help in fear of persecution. As such, it is necessary to have a group of their peers available to them on professional, yet still common terms, that can assist the addicted population. Taxpayers will spend alot more money on the individuals who contract Hep, or HIV, or any of the infinite diseases associated with injection and inhalation related drugs. Remember? Universal healthcare? It is much more fiscally responsible to provide free "clean" needles etc. than to spend $10,000 per person on their hospital costs... not to mention their treatment, possible infection of others (domino effect)...
Is it possible that someone can be so close minded that they cannot see the obvious potential of such an institution?
Posted by: JessoftheText on October 28, 2003 11:02 AMIn toronto,they are going to experiment in giving addicts free heroine! WHAT IS THAT?!
It's a smart idea is what that is. The problem with Heroin is not so much the drug itself (leaving aside for the moment the impurities that pushers add which cause health problems) but its legal status. It's its criminality that causes all the social problems with heroin users not the drug itself. Scotland has experimented with this for quite awhile and found it quite effective. It doesn't promote drug use as you must already be an addict to be on the program. People can be quite productive members of society and still be heroin addicts if what they are getting is pure and they do not suffer imprisonment for using it. All drugs should be legal and under government certification and/or control.
Posted by: The Dynamic Driveler on November 2, 2003 05:21 PMIf these people want to waste there lives let them do it by themselves
Posted by: Anonymous on November 7, 2003 09:57 AMI think these sites shouldnt be legal. If the people want to do drugs they should do it by them selves and not by getting help, its dumb. Thats what I think. There waisting there lives.
Posted by: hunter on November 7, 2003 09:58 AMthese cind of sites are f**king gay and the should be ileagal thats what i think whos with me
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heroin is gay and illegal it is retarded and again it is gay safe injection sights are also stupid and gay the drugies might as well smoke the reefer it isn't as harmful
Posted by: pud on November 7, 2003 10:05 AMI think that it is a wast of the tax payers money. I think that they can do drugs by themselvs if they want to wast there live i think it's crape that we have to pay for these stoners.
These people can waste there lives if they want they should do it by themselves, they shouldnt be able to get free heroine how could you be so dumb all this is going to do is make more drugies in the world, WHY WHY WHY
Posted by: me on November 7, 2003 10:09 AMim with hoffman let them buy there own drugs, or the cop should set up a fake in safe injection stand and arrest every one who comes there
Posted by: rempel on November 7, 2003 10:09 AMall you stoners are retarded buying drugs smoking the refer
Posted by: Anonymous on November 7, 2003 10:12 AMWhat a sorry bunch of losers the lot of you are that you can't even carry on a civilized conversation. Apparantly your ability to actually think about the pros and cons of a position is beyond your mental capacities and you have to resort name calling. You leave me no choice but to turn comments off on this thread.
Posted by: The Dynamic Driveler on November 7, 2003 12:37 PM