Quote:
Originally Posted by marsplasticeraser
I think the drugs epidemic is one of the biggest issues we are dealing with in North American society.
It needs a dramatic solution that focuses on two things:
1. Actual recovery for addicts
2. Reduces crime, violence, and anti-social behaviour towards the rest of society.
For about 10 years the only solution that I think would work is:
Step 1: Find some smaller towns that are down on their luck with vacant / low cost homes, dwindling population and pitch investment to create massive treatment facilities for drug additions.
Step 2: Make these facilities attractive to addicts. This means drugs are free on one half of the facility, and the other side has recovery teams. Both sides provide basic accommodation and meals, meaning that addicts don't need to cause social disorder to fuel their habit. Officers on both side maintain order, reducing crime amongst homeless, which is also an epidemic.
Step 3: Make it a hassle to do drugs in public, so existing addicts go to the treatment facilities.
Step 4: Once in facilities, some will stay there forever but many will grow bored and go into treatment.
Step 5: Good treatment means a lot will eventually leave treatment and return to society. A major improvement is it's harder to relapse as so few drug addicts remain on the streets.
I like this as it's a win-win-win-win
Win 1: Small, dwindling towns win with investment, home values increase, vibrancy comes back.
Win 2: Mental health and social workers win with affordable living and working in environments where they can impact peoples lives.
Win 3: Addicts win as they are given dignity, reduced exploitation, a real chance of recovery, and less likely to slip back.
Win 4: Society wins as crime, violence and anti-social behaviour is reduced. Furthermore, organized crime takes a big hit as significantly smaller market to sell drugs.
Only downside, this won't be cheap. The decision is what is the value of saving tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of people's lives, while also making our cities livable again, protecting our children from accidental overdoses, and more?
This is what we could spend our money on instead of arenas....
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I think the hardest part of that plan is dealing with the non-addicts in the town you plan on setting this up in. Could you imagine the NIMBY outrage? Facts would have little bearing, and RW media would lose their #### in defence of these small idyllic peaceful towns being overrun with the evil drug addled masses from cities.
For that reason alone, you are probably better to run it outside of a town, or the idea wouldn't get off the ground.