Too sick to shoot up? Call a volunteer

[David_Paul]

The Globe and Mail
Canadian Press
Sept 1, 2005

Addicts, crippled and blinded by their drug use and too sick to shoot themselves up, will be helped by a volunteer team of users to get high safely.

Forty members of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users will be patrolling the Downtown Eastside, a slum and open drug market that teems with disease, offering injection education and assistance.

“Most of the stats show people who are incapable of injecting themselves or have a hard time have the highest rate of HIV,” said Diane Tobin, the new and first female president of the users’ harm reduction group.

VANDU, which is wholly run by volunteers, has 12 members trained and walking the alleys now. Ms. Tobin said they hope to get a room where people can also come to them.

“There’s a huge need out there,” said Ms. Tobin, who is back on heroin to deal with withdrawal from methadone…]

Health Canada is calling for a change to the law that prevents peers and nurses in the city’s sanctioned safe injection site from helping people inject . . .

theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050901.waddicts0901/BNStory/National

 

[Mom_of_one]

Not my idea of a good time, that’s for sure. But here is a novel idea—since they can’t inject themselves anymore, let them get clean. Give them whatever help they need, but don’t enable their drug habit by helping them get high.

And what about the people who can’t smoke dope or snort cocaine because they are now disabled? Are they going to get someone to help them continue in their addiction?

Stupid, stupid, stupid!!!

 

[David_Paul]

Mom of one . . .difficult to understand, isn’t it? Opiate addiction is for the pros to handle. Forget do-gooder fanasties of what might be beneficial. Friend of mine has been in alchohol/cocaine recovery for years. He prays everyday, rarely goes a day without attending a meeting, structures his entire life to avoid circumstances which may trigger a relapse. Attends narcotics and AA meetings. Told him about this tonight and he couldn’t believe it. Just grabbed his head and said “Man, this is like telling me not to drink vodka straught but to mix it with orange juice for the vitamins C.”

 

[AlanFromWichita]

On the other hand, previous surgeon general Joycelyn Elders once suggested that we need “safer bullets” so when people shoot each other it doesn’t do as much damage.

In context it almost might have made sense, but of course it is more fun to take it out of context.

Actually I kind of liked her. She had the guts to say things the other political wussies couldn’t handle hearing – even liberals in her own party. She may have said some crazy sounding things but I still liked her. At least she came up with some new ideas instead of different flavors of the same old ones.

Alan

 

[Lizzie]

David_Paul:

The Globe and Mail
Canadian Press
Sept 1, 2005

"… Diane Tobin, the new and first female president of the users’ harm reduction group.

… Ms. Tobin, who is back on heroin to deal with withdrawal from methadone…]

theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050901.waddicts0901/BNStory/National

How can a relapsed and active heroin addict be given such credibility as written by the Globe and Mail? Who owns that publication?

 

[Hospitaller]

Lizzie:

How can a relapsed and active heroin addict be given such credibility as written by the Globe and Mail? Who owns that publication?

The Liberal Party of Canada (well, almost).

 

[Lizzie]

Hospitaller:

The Liberal Party of Canada (well, almost).

Oh, my!

There was a time that Canada was led by folks who were upstanding and ethical. What happened?

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Why would users be entrusted to inject other users? What are people thinking?

 

[b_justb]

Ani Ibi:

Why would users be entrusted to inject other users? What are people thinking?

Who better to find a good vein? I mean if you want results, send in people with expertise.

 

[st_julie]

Addiction is an illness. Many people do not show signs of addiction unless the drugs become hard to get and then all the other problems are intensified. Fr. Corapi said that he could accomplish many things in the beginning of his addiction. Any nurse sees a person with an addiction as a patient first.

st julie

 

[Zachary]

If you are not an addict you shouldn’t comment. That would be anti-politically correct. Addict, that’s not PC either. If you are not a User, then you shouldn’t comment.

Honestly, this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard of. It would be like saying if a kid ran away from home but kept getting caught and brought back home, we’d send in a team of successful run-awayers to help then get away. The only thing left good in Canada is that it is clean (outside of the big cities) and we have the best hockey players in the world. Other than that, we’re becoming so open-minded that our brains have fallen out.

 

[buffalo]

David_Paul:

The Globe and Mail
Canadian Press
Sept 1, 2005

Addicts, crippled and blinded by their drug use and too sick to shoot themselves up, will be helped by a volunteer team of users to get high safely.

Forty members of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users will be patrolling the Downtown Eastside, a slum and open drug market that teems with disease, offering injection education and assistance.

“Most of the stats show people who are incapable of injecting themselves or have a hard time have the highest rate of HIV,” said Diane Tobin, the new and first female president of the users’ harm reduction group.

VANDU, which is wholly run by volunteers, has 12 members trained and walking the alleys now. Ms. Tobin said they hope to get a room where people can also come to them.

“There’s a huge need out there,” said Ms. Tobin, who is back on heroin to deal with withdrawal from methadone…]

Health Canada is calling for a change to the law that prevents peers and nurses in the city’s sanctioned safe injection site from helping people inject . . .

theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050901.waddicts0901/BNStory/National

I wonder if the $2000.00 debit card can be used?