Quote:
Originally Posted by rubecube
Decrim isn't just for addicts experiencing homelessness and mental illness. It's also what leads to harm reduction tents at music festivals and testing sites in urban centres. All of this makes it less likely that a casual or first-time user will die from taking party drugs.
Again, you're conflating the two issues. Addiction make it more likely that someone will experience an overdose, but decrim makes it less likely that they'll experience that overdose out of the reach of people who can stabilize them.
If you want people to get treatment for their addictions, they have to first be alive to access said treatment.
The NIMBY position on this is pretty unconscionable, IMO. It's essentially saying "I'm willing to sacrifice the lives of some drug users so that I don't have to see drugs being used out in the open."
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We agree that upstream elements like drug testing and education are a good thing. We also probably agree that occasional drug use is perfectly healthy. Those are worthwhile things we are doing.
Where we disagree and the focus of the debate over the last few days is what to do with people with serious additions. Having considered your position the foundation of our differences is that I don't think it's wrong for people to not want addicts loitering near their homes and work places. I don't think that's a NIMBY thing, I think that personal safety issue. Addicts abusing drugs infant of you is Harmful.
Because we are being careful with semantics, I want to be clear that I don't think all addicts are dangerous ( though I think having people overdose in front of you is traumatic). I also do not think Nikel and Dime arrests or general police harassment of homeless peoples is an appropriate solution.
If I had to offer a solution it would be:
If you overdose in public you get put in mandatory treatment, where you are forced to pick up litter, and sort recycling for minimum wage. I know, punishment makes.addicts adverse to calling for help and thus increases harm. But like I said, letting people shoot up everywhere also Increases harm for everyone else. sometimes you have to choose between two evils.