City council has voted to explore the idea of handing out crack pipes and running city-run consumption sites similar to the ones in Vancouver.
It goes without saying that the plan is controversial, but Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson defended the city’s open-minded approach.
“It isn’t that the city of is Toronto is trying to buy drugs, to become a drug dealer but it is that we care about the people,” he said Thursday.
Now I know a lot of people are soft on drugs here , for personal use reasons, but can you agree that it's insanity for cities to be encouraging destructive drug use in people that are already ravaged victims by handing out fucking crack pipes.
I don't agree that is a choice of "do you want a crack house in your neighborhood or a safe injection site?"
If you cared about these people you'd help them stop what they can't stop by themselves any more, and at the worse have a short programs to wean them off these hard drugs with stuff like methodone.
Tough love and instilling some self-discipline is required NOT coddling to the capricious hobbies of these damaged, out of control persons.
“By having the kits to give, we start to get to build relationships with people and then deal with other issues, such as housing,” explained harm reduction outreach worker Barb Panter. “We work primarily with homeless folks. Once we get them a place where they are safe and feel secure, the drug use often decreases.”
i'm really not understanding how any of this is better than rehab. even after they've provided shelter to the homeless, i do not see any mention of intervention in the article. what?
PH is asking for a kneejerk response to this, I'm sorry I can't oblige him.
Vancouver has been worn down by it's drug abuse problem, ideological barriers were overcome in an attempt to go with what works. It's not clear this works, but striving in that direction, they're trying out new controversial programs.
i think one would need to wait for empirical data before making judgement on whether this is good or bad.
I'd say that the advantages of a move like this is that it reduces spread of infection.
The idea is that the drug use would occur anyway, and all we're doing is providing a more controlled environment in which such use takes place.
This has its advantages, such as being able to monitor behaviours more closely, and perhaps even have an easier platform from which to provide help (instead of seeking out different users in various dark alleys, they come to you, and you can hand out information pamphlets with each sterile crack pipe).
“By having the kits to give, we start to get to build relationships with people and then deal with other issues, such as housing,” explained harm reduction outreach worker Barb Panter. “We work primarily with homeless folks. Once we get them a place where they are safe and feel secure, the drug use often decreases.”
Always vocal councillor Rob Ford was outraged with the plan.
“Sorry. I don't buy that argument. It will ruin the city,” he bluntly states.
Rob Ford seems to be an ideological moron. He doesn't even respond to the alleged benefits of the program.
City council has voted to explore the idea of handing out crack pipes and running city-run consumption sites similar to the ones in Vancouver.
It goes without saying that the plan is controversial, but Scarborough Centre Councillor Michael Thompson defended the city’s open-minded approach.
“It isn’t that the city of is Toronto is trying to buy drugs, to become a drug dealer but it is that we care about the people,” he said Thursday.
Now I know a lot of people are soft on drugs here , for personal use reasons, but can you agree that it's insanity for cities to be encouraging destructive drug use in people that are already ravaged victims by handing out fucking crack pipes.
I don't agree that is a choice of "do you want a crack house in your neighborhood or a safe injection site?"
If you cared about these people you'd help them stop what they can't stop by themselves any more, and at the worse have a short programs to wean them off these hard drugs with stuff like methodone.
Tough love and instilling some self-discipline is required NOT coddling to the capricious hobbies of these damaged, out of control persons.
i think you your sig is a much bigger epidemic than any crack problem in any nation. do you catch my drift? i didn't think so...
Gun use would occur anyway and all we're doing is providing a platform to better educate gun users so that they may decide on their own to stop using the guns. Its much better this way to do it in the open than to buy the handguns in dark alleys and shady late night meetings.
This has its advantages. They come to you for the free guns and you can hand out information pamphlets with each well-oiled gun.
[xeno]Julios wrote:
This has its advantages, such as being able to monitor behaviours more closely, and perhaps even have an easier platform from which to provide help (instead of seeking out different users in various dark alleys, they come to you, and you can hand out information pamphlets with each sterile crack pipe).
