Meth Clinic Run Out Of Town

[4X4]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I think that the clinic did a horrible job of communicating with the community, they didn't give the community a chance to debate this or accept this, so in my mind of course there's going to be a backlash against the clinic as it acted like it had something to hide, or didn't trust the community.

The city did an absolutely terrible job in handling this and keeping an eye on the developments as they came up.

The community acted shamefully.

The victims in this case were the recovering addicts, they were shafted by the city, mishandled by the clinic and the community wasn't educated on the addicts so they reacted poorly.

There's a lot more blame to be put out there then just blaming the community and calling them closed minded.

This post is bang on. Perfectly stated.

[Resolute 14]

I agree completely, CC, except that I would suggest that even educated, the community would have reacted the same.

The disgusting lack of regard for anyone but ones self is a well ingrained trait of our society.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I agree completely, CC, except that I would suggest that even educated, the community would have reacted the same.

The disgusting lack of regard for anyone but ones self is a well ingrained trait of our society.

Isn't that exactly what the clinic did? They only had regard for themselves and lacked regard for the whole community by sneaking in the back door.

Seems to me like the clinic got what it deserved (to be booted from that community.. not from the city).

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by urban1

This was handled poorly on the clinic's part. With all the oposition theyve gotten up to this point they should have known it wouldnt go over well if they quietely opened up in Braeside.
If its true that the clinic's clients for the most part arent street addicts and are "normal" citizens who have pain killer addictions, they should have made a public arguement based on this and tried to ease peoples concerns.

Braeside makes no sense for the reasons already listed in this thread. Why put it in a suburban neighbourhood rather deep in the city's south end without easy access by public transportation. An area like Brdigeland or Inglewood wouldnt be the answer either as they have enough problems with being close to downtown.
Why not run this program out of somewhere like the new Sheldon Shumir centre on 4th Street downtown. There must be space somewhere downtown that the zoning would allow a medical clinic and that this clinic could afford the rent.

I think often times people say "Damn Nimbys" when its not theyre neighbourhood being considered. Its easy to blame the Nimbys in Braeside if your living in Tuscany. Why not put this thing near the new Crowfoot train station in the NW?

There's nothing worse than those types of people eh? The reality is you know that the majority of people that call others out for being Nimby's are Nimby's themsleves.

Out of all the people in this thread that called Braeside residents out for being Nimby's, can you honestly say that if a methadone clinic opened up across the street from your family's house in a suburb, you would just go "Well, I guess it had to go somewhere....have fun at the park kids, stay safe!"....and if you claim you would, then I'd say you're lying.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by enthused

I don't disagree with what you're saying, a white collar chemical addict obviously is able to somewhat hold his life together and maintain a job and everything. But I don't think that the fact that a white collar chemical addict still goes to work every day changes the fact that he is still an addict.

Addicts can be extremely sporatic and unpredictable, and just because a white collar chemical addict still goes to work every day, it doesn't mean he's any less likely to do something dangerous than a homeless chemical addict is.

True, but at least white collar chem-head is busy doing things other than getting high and thus I would like to believe reduces his risk of interfering in my world. Homeless chem head is a much higher risk, especially if frequenting a clinic near my home.

Its a moot point now anyway. Good debate tho.

[J pold]

I find it interesting that here in Lethbridge a new Methadone clinic just opened in a residential area and has received nothing but support from the surrounding community. As a results the new program is already seeing outstanding results. One of those redeeming things about living in a small town I suppose.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by J pold

I find it interesting that here in Lethbridge a new Methadone clinic just opened in a residential area and has received nothing but support from the surrounding community. As a results the new program is already seeing outstanding results. One of those redeeming things about living in a small town I suppose.

Another redeeming thing about living in a small town is the number of clients. The Lethbridge clinic was opend to help serve the 100 clients that used to go to Calgary.

The Calgary clinic serves 500 clients.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by flameswin

There's nothing worse than those types of people eh? The reality is you know that the majority of people that call others out for being Nimby's are Nimby's themsleves.

Out of all the people in this thread that called Braeside residents out for being Nimby's, can you honestly say that if a methadone clinic opened up across the street from your family's house in a suburb, you would just go "Well, I guess it had to go somewhere....have fun at the park kids, stay safe!"....and if you claim you would, then I'd say you're lying.

Well you can call me a liar if you want but I would not have a problem with a meth clinic opening up in my neighborhood. Why? Because I have researched them and know what they are about. I also know that the patients that go there are doing what they can to get better. They are not going to rob my kids when they go to the park to play, they are not going to be shooting up in the alley behind the school, they are not going to break into my house to steal my TV and sell it at the pawn shop for money for their next fix. They are going to do what they can to get better because they made that conscience decision to get better, that is why they are in my neighborhood and at the clinic.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Well you can call me a liar if you want but I would not have a problem with a meth clinic opening up in my neighborhood. Why? Because I have researched them and know what they are about. I also know that the patients that go there are doing what they can to get better. They are not going to rob my kids when they go to the park to play, they are not going to be shooting up in the alley behind the school, they are not going to break into my house to steal my TV and sell it at the pawn shop for money for their next fix. They are going to do what they can to get better because they made that conscience decision to get better, that is why they are in my neighborhood and at the clinic.

All of them? Each and every single one?

[Kipper is King]

That location is in a couple blocks of my house. I am very glad it is closing it's doors.

I'm not arguing against their patients getting help, but such facilities should be in an industrial or primarily commercial area. There is a playground one block from that location, and St.Cyril Jr.High/Elementary is about a block and a half away.

I suspect many of the posts here would change their tone if they were so close to the clinic. The problems could not only come from the patients themselves, but also those they associate with who may be active drug users. Birds of a feather flock together.

It would only take one incident between a child and a unstable druggie and suddenly the location of a methadone clinic in a residential area would not seem smart. I'm not painting with too big a brush here- I realize many of the patients could be stable enough to manage without anything happening. But the risk of it getting out of hand for a small fraction is too great.

Put it in an industrial area, and the risks related to drug users and former drug users would be minimized. They need help- just not in an area with so many families.

[Superflyer]

Maybe not every single one of them, there are always the ones that can snap and go back to the way they were or worse. But really if an addict is going to snap it is not going to happen on their way to the clinic or just after they get a treatment, and really that is the only time most of them are going to be in my community. It a patient is going lose it, it is going to be when they are depressed, down on their luck, just got dumped etc.

[calculoso]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

Maybe not every single one of them, there are always the ones that can snap and go back to the way they were or worse. But really if an addict is going to snap it is not going to happen on their way to the clinic or just after they get a treatment, and really that is the only time most of them are going to be in my community. It a patient is going lose it, it is going to be when they are depressed, down on their luck, just got dumped etc.

I just go back to a post by Jayems on Page 3 of this thread:

Originally Posted by Jayems

My fiancee works at a business that is there. She said as soon as the place opened, the area filled with tweekers and dudes obviously wacked out of their minds. She felt uncomfortable with all the sketchy folks hanging around outside(as well as with all the media outlets there trying to get comments from local businesses). She wants them to get help and didn't really mind the clinic being there, but to say it has no affect on the businesses or the community members/staff workers is way off.

It was only open for a week (or so) and yet it still had that kind of affect on the area. Sure the people want to help themselves, and I applaud them for it, but come on. Locate the clinic in a proper area away from kids, away from homes, away from vulnerable areas.

In this case it isn't NIMBY, it's NIABY - Not in Anyone's back yard. It only makes sense.

[Dion]

Second Chance says Calgary is a city that won't embrace an addictions treatment centre. The clinic's lawyer says upset Braeside residents took their anger further than just a crowded town hall meeting. He says staff at the clinic were scared. He says staff were threatened with damage to the clinic or their vehicles.

AADAC runs a methadone program and will take over patient care for as many possible but even with added resources the program can't accommodate all who require treatment.

Kelly Eby is with the Alberta College of Physicians & Surgeons. "Some patients will be able to travel to Lethbridge or Red Deer because they are on a low dose and only need to go in once a month, but some are much more serious and need to be seen regularly and we're hopeful AADAC can pick up those patients."

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=CalgaryHome

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by calculoso

I just go back to a post by Jayems on Page 3 of this thread:



It was only open for a week (or so) and yet it still had that kind of affect on the area. Sure the people want to help themselves, and I applaud them for it, but come on. Locate the clinic in a proper area away from kids, away from homes, away from vulnerable areas.

In this case it isn't NIMBY, it's NIABY - Not in Anyone's back yard. It only makes sense.

Funny that you would mention that post as I thought it was a little odd. I looked into this and the clinic never opened up to patients. They took over the location on Monday and before they could even move anything in the landlord locked them out. So the people that were whacked out of their minds must have already been there.

[JustAnotherGuy]

I did some checking on the internet. Googled for some statistics. Fact is the methadone treatment is not 100% successful. X percent of patients go back to their previous lives. Some of those lives involved criminal acts. Do not bring potential crime into a residential area.

Simple as that. There should not even be anymore discussion about this topic. The requirement for setting up one of these places should involve some distance from schools, playgrounds etc.

[blankall]

Congrats to the people of Braeside.

And to the posters trying to paint the residents of Braeside as though they are in the wrong. Answer me this: There is no way anyone would have ever of dream of putting a clinic like this near a school in Pump Hill or Upper Mount Royal. Why does it belong in Braeside?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

I did some checking on the internet. Googled for some statistics. Fact is the methadone treatment is not 100% successful. X percent of patients go back to their previous lives. Some of those lives involved criminal acts. Do not bring potential crime into a residential area.

Simple as that. There should not even be anymore discussion about this topic. The requirement for setting up one of these places should involve some distance from schools, playgrounds etc.

So after unsuccessful treatment they're going to come back to the neighbourhood they got treatment in to commit crimes?

That's ridiculous.

[JustAnotherGuy]

Originally Posted by nik-

So after unsuccessful treatment they're going to come back to the neighbourhood they got treatment in to commit crimes?

That's ridiculous.

Potential criminal element and undesirables is enough to make sure it has very stict rules for location.

OR

They need to keep the number of patients to a minimal AND they need to keep the petty criminals away from any clinic near a residental area.

[Superflyer]

Originally Posted by JustAnotherGuy

I did some checking on the internet. Googled for some statistics. Fact is the methadone treatment is not 100% successful. X percent of patients go back to their previous lives. Some of those lives involved criminal acts. Do not bring potential crime into a residential area.

Simple as that. There should not even be anymore discussion about this topic. The requirement for setting up one of these places should involve some distance from schools, playgrounds etc.

So lets also ban all AA meetings in residential area as well because there are a few people that go back to being alcoholics. Then they will get drunk and drive through these communities as well.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Superflyer

So lets also ban all AA meetings in residential area as well because there are a few people that go back to being alcoholics. Then they will get drunk and drive through these communities as well.

Two totally different situations. Most people don't go to and from AA meetings drunk. There is a much greater instance of crime among the drug addict population than among alcoholics. Not to mention alcoholics don't use needles or carry as many diseases. Also alcohol is legal. You don't require the criminals to acquire alcohol. The list goes on and on. Like I said, two totally different things.