Meth Clinic Run Out Of Town - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Superflyer · 07-09-2009, 08:22 AM

This just makes me so mad. A clinic that is there to help people get over addictions is run out of town because of narrow minded people. The not in my backyard mentality ruins so much, now the 500 people that were getting help to get a better life because of this clinic are SOL. Sure some of them will be able to still get help and will beat their addiction and return to a normal happy life, but a lot of them will turn back to the addiction that was ruining them because the help that is needed to beat this is not available.

What these people do not realize is that the patients are people that have realized they had a problem and were trying hard to get better, not the crackheads that you see wandering the streets begging for money to get their next hit. So instead of looking into what this clinic really does they see the word Meth and assume that addicts are going to be coming from all over to get their free hit of drugs.
This is kinda like saying we do not want any AA meetings in our neighborhood because people are going to be driving drunk to get to them.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Ca...038/story.html

Traditional_Ale · 07-09-2009, 08:24 AM

I agree that it is sad that most people are obsessively concerned with themselves and their precious delusions of reality, but at the same time if I was raising a family I wouldn't want chemical addicts near my home.

Recovering, recovered, or not even close...once an addict, always an addict. Some just learn how to be 'non-using' addicts. Especially with things like crack and meth.

Bring_Back_Shantz · 07-09-2009, 08:29 AM

I have to agree with Trad on this one.

It's easy for us to say those jerks in Braeside are ruining a good thing, it's a lot harder to accept this type of facility in your own neighbourhood.

I'd love to condemn them, but if I had kids I wouldn't want to be living down the street from a methadone clinic either.

There's a reason clinics like this are usually in industrial areas, and that's something the city should try to help out with, rezoning a spot so this clinic can contiue to operate in an area where it won't be around families.

ken0042 · 07-09-2009, 08:38 AM

From the clinic's side, there have also been threats against clinic staff. So it isn't just a passive NIMBY statement here, but really running them out.

Of course, this all stems from a zoning issue. The clinic wanted to move into an industrial area, and the city wouldn't let them due to zoning issues.

starseed · 07-09-2009, 08:45 AM

I thought that when Clement was health minister he said the conservative government was opposed to places like this? There was a big controversy about that around the insite in Vancouver.

I am a supporter of clinics like this, they do save people. I would, however, also keep them out of residential areas.

Superflyer · 07-09-2009, 08:45 AM

I agree that the city should do something to help this clinic out as it is something that will really help the city.

I also think that if it was placed in or around a residential community, it is not horrible, not ideal but but not horrible either. I would rather see it someplace else but I would rather have it around then not at all.
The people that go to these clinics are looking for help because they know they need it. They are not going to be on their way to the clinic for help and all of a sudden go, I need a fix, I have to break into this house and steal stuff to get my fix. If they are going to lose it they are going to do it when they are depressed, at the bottom of the barrel etc. not on their way to get better.

I have a family and if this clinic opened in my neighborhood I would not scream and start a mob to run them out. I would not be ecstatic and throw a welcome to the neighborhood party either but I would accept them as any other business.

Knalus · 07-09-2009, 08:47 AM

I would be stupid to put it in Braeside, and it's stupid to run it out of town because it was in Braeside. I hate to say it, but the only one being rational in this entire debate was Pincott, as much as I have previously thought most of his decisions have been pin headed. I have a bit more respect for the man, after having seen him deal with this the way he did.

Kybosh · 07-09-2009, 09:44 AM

One thing that a lot of people don't realize is that the patrons of methadone clinics are not all addicted to crack or heroin or meth. Many of the people that used this service are addicted to various pain medications that they first used to recover from surgery or what have you.

Rerun · 07-09-2009, 09:44 AM

Could they not find a better location for this other than some residential area? (currently in residential Braeside SW)

I am sure there a plenty of places in a light industrial area... ie off Barlow Trail SE in the Foothills Industrial area. Easy access, serviced by major bus routes, no homes in the area, etc, etc.

enthused · 07-09-2009, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

I agree that it is sad that most people are obsessively concerned with themselves and their precious delusions of reality, but at the same time if I was raising a family I wouldn't want chemical addicts near my home.

Recovering, recovered, or not even close...once an addict, always an addict. Some just learn how to be 'non-using' addicts. Especially with things like crack and meth.

What makes you think there aren't addicts near your home now? Not every addict is the stereotypical street bum who hasn't showered in months and shoots up in an alley. There are plenty of "white collar" addicts too. The article even says how many of the clinic's clients are doctors and nurses who turned to drugs to try to keep up with the long hours.

Braeside might not have been the best location for the clinic, but really, where is? Its a shame that because many residents there are only concerned about themselves and how their community looks that a lot of people wont be able to get the help that they need.

Rerun · 07-09-2009, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enthused

What makes you think there aren't addicts near your home now? Not every addict is the stereotypical street bum who hasn't showered in months and shoots up in an alley. There are plenty of "white collar" addicts too. The article even says how many of the clinic's clients are doctors and nurses who turned to drugs to try to keep up with the long hours.

Braeside might not have been the best location for the clinic, but really, where is? Its a shame that because many residents there are only concerned about themselves and how their community looks that a lot of people wont be able to get the help that they need.

Some light industrial area.... as I said in my previous post.

blankall · 07-09-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superflyer

I agree that the city should do something to help this clinic out as it is something that will really help the city.

I also think that if it was placed in or around a residential community, it is not horrible, not ideal but but not horrible either. I would rather see it someplace else but I would rather have it around then not at all.
The people that go to these clinics are looking for help because they know they need it. They are not going to be on their way to the clinic for help and all of a sudden go, I need a fix, I have to break into this house and steal stuff to get my fix. If they are going to lose it they are going to do it when they are depressed, at the bottom of the barrel etc. not on their way to get better.

I have a family and if this clinic opened in my neighborhood I would not scream and start a mob to run them out. I would not be ecstatic and throw a welcome to the neighborhood party either but I would accept them as any other business.

I have no experience with the clinics in Calgary, but in Vancouver clinics and safe injection sites often just become a place for hardcore addicts to hang out. They are places where you can get all the hardware you need: clean pipes, needles, etc...

So you end up with drug dealing, prostitution, etc etc all centering around the sites of the clinics.

I have to sympathise with the home owners. I would not want that on my block.

alltherage · 07-09-2009, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superflyer

This just makes me so mad. A clinic that is there to help people get over addictions is run out of town because of narrow minded people. The not in my backyard mentality ruins so much, now the 500 people that were getting help to get a better life because of this clinic are SOL. Sure some of them will be able to still get help and will beat their addiction and return to a normal happy life, but a lot of them will turn back to the addiction that was ruining them because the help that is needed to beat this is not available.

What these people do not realize is that the patients are people that have realized they had a problem and were trying hard to get better, not the crackheads that you see wandering the streets begging for money to get their next hit. So instead of looking into what this clinic really does they see the word Meth and assume that addicts are going to be coming from all over to get their free hit of drugs.
This is kinda like saying we do not want any AA meetings in our neighborhood because people are going to be driving drunk to get to them.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Ca...038/story.html

Yeah... so this is like a block from my house, and we already have a lot of riff raff in my community... because of low-income housing in areas, and I hate to say it, and this is certainly not to be a blanket statement, but with the T'su T'sina reserve right there lots of times there are intoxicated people from there wandering my streets with booze etc in hand. I don't want my community to become a lightning rod for crime. I've already had my car and backyard broken in to, I don't need this clinic right here. If the city was smart, they would put this in a commercial area with stores around rather than homes, and put it closer to a train station!

Rerun · 07-09-2009, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blankall

I have no experience with the clinics in Calgary, but in Vancouver clinics and safe injection sites often just become a place for hardcore addicts to hang out. They are places where you can get all the hardware you need: clean pipes, needles, etc...

So you end up with drug dealing, prostitution, etc etc all centering around the sites of the clinics.

I have to sympathise with the home owners. I would not want that on my block.

Something to think about.

MelBridgeman · 07-09-2009, 10:21 AM

you're narrow minded because you don't want drug addicts in your neighborhood? stupid thing to say and stupid place to put it.

JustAnotherGuy · 07-09-2009, 10:31 AM

Exactly. Not in my neighborhood. No matter how you try to deny it this would cause an increase in the number of criminals and/or people who just unstable in the neighborhood. I do not want that around my family or my house. Sorry.

NOTE: I am a guy who applauds somebody who is trying to get their life straightened out. I believe in what they are trying to do. But unfortunately not in my neighborhood.

Rerun · 07-09-2009, 10:32 AM

Nimby

CaptainCrunch · 07-09-2009, 10:45 AM

I've always wondered why these clinics couldn't be put in the hospital sites. It seems stupid that it isn't.

I understand the fears of the home owners about their security and the value of their investments.

I think we're a little too quick to condemn the people who feel that this should have been discussed with them before it was opened.

Knalus · 07-09-2009, 10:47 AM

Is it just me, or is that end of town loaded with Nimby's? With the methadone clinic, the connections to 90th ave, the ring road, the issues regarding the C-Train...

Thunderball · 07-09-2009, 11:13 AM

To me, putting the site in Braeside was utter stupidity.

First off, there's no train access, second, its right across the street from a children's playground/athletic park, and third, its a suburban residential community.

To me, these clinics belong in one of two places: Industrial Parks, Hospitals/Health Region Urgent Care Clinics. Downtown is the typical answer, but its already a lightning rod for addicts.