Calgary considering Mobile Consumption Sites

[Hot_Flatus]

Interested to hear others thoughts on this proposal from the city. I know people that live and work in buildings within the vicinity of the Sheldon Schumir consumption site and the safety/appeal around the area has taken a notable hit since opening. Morally, I get the need for a service like this, but it seems like something that is far too extreme to be bringing into communities - what happens to these people after they shoot up and vacate the van?

Aside from the cost, which must be astronomical for taxpayers, as a resident I would sure love to look out my window and see that going on.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...tion-1.4842681

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

what happens to these people after they shoot up and vacate the van?
[/URL]

Same thing that happens when they shoot up in your alley? Except a medical professional talks to them every time.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Same thing that happens when they shoot up in your alley? Except a medical professional talks to them every time.

This is already available at the Sheldon Schumir and this is at least in a medical facility that you could argue is meant to accept such cases. One user in someone's alley would easily become far more than that once locations are picked out and a schedule set. Service should be accessible but there is something to be said about making an illegal act too easy.

[Scroopy Noopers]

The whole point is to make it easy. They are treating it as a mental health problem (as they should) and trying to reduce the problem that way.

What’s the threat? These have been around long enough and the arguments have covered all ground. Has anything terrible happened outside one of these clinics? How often? Ever?

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

The whole point is to make it easy. They are treating it as a mental health problem (as they should) and trying to reduce the problem that way.

What’s the threat? These have been around long enough and the arguments have covered all ground. Has anything terrible happened outside one of these clinics? How often? Ever?

First of all, you don't treat a mental health issues like addiction out of a van or a safe consumption site. This takes actual counseling from highly trained mental health professionals, not just nurses who are present to make sure you don't kill yourself.

I know people that live/work around the current clinic and there are far more issues with crime and safety in the surrounding areas than there ever were before. This is understandable, however, since there were already issues associated with the Schumir center to begin with. To potentially bring increased drug use and concentration into more densely populated residential areas seems extremely short sighted. In most cases it is a mental health issue and you're exactly right, it should be treated as such, in a medical facility.

Take everything else aside and I can't even begin to imagine the cost of one of these units considering nurses and security would need to be provided full time. Maybe that would be more effective if spent toward bolstering already cash strapped mental health and counselling programs for such issues that already exist at the Schumir and/or other facilities.

[DiracSpike]

Doesn't seem like too much to ask for the addicts to go to one centralized location for taxpayer funded heroin consumption.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Doesn't seem like too much to ask for the addicts to go to one centralized location for taxpayer funded heroin consumption.

Want them to drive there?


As far as the taxes go, I’m definitely not an expert. But I would be interested in seeing the cost comparison between this option and arresting/detaining/the entire judicial process that follows. Guess who pays for the lawyer.

Edit: I guess you could add the cost of emergency rooms visits and paramedic response for overdoses to the latter option as well.

[Northendzone]

The location should also serve pizza and munchies and if it is not convenient then there should be some type of car service to take them there.

the car service should be a nice clean unit - preferably in an upper trim level like LX or perhaps a Limited, not a hooptie

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Want them to drive there?


As far as the taxes go, I’m definitely not an expert. But I would be interested in seeing the cost comparison between this option and arresting/detaining/the entire judicial process that follows. Guess who pays for the lawyer.

I would wager that easily 95% of these people are not working 9-5 jobs only to go home get blitzed on heroin and go back to work the next morning......Do you often hear about the police pulling over a driver high on heroin?

The crime associated with the addiction exists out of necessity to acquire drugs at all costs. Most of the crimes to fuel this habit are going to happen within a reasonable distance/time-frame of consumption. This isn't going to change because you drive a van somewhere a few hours a day and then move on to another site.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

First of all, you don't treat a mental health issues like addiction out of a van or a safe consumption site. This takes actual counseling from highly trained mental health professionals, not just nurses who are present to make sure you don't kill yourself.

I know that, they know that. None of this is an easy problem to fix.

“Safeworks staff are also working to connect clients with addictions supports.

They have made more than 243 referrals to social workers, the opioid dependency program and other supports since the site opened.”



My last point on this is, are there people who are jealous of the lives that meth/fentanyl/heroine users live? There are always jokes about it being a “free ride”, “they should serve munchies”. You are more than welcome to start that life, but I wish you wouldn’t. Seeing junkies in real life as a kid downtown was probably the best lesson I ever learned. Never wanted to end up like that.

As I’ve aged I’ve realized there is much more involved in each individual case than I ever had considered. The previous/current way of handling this isn’t working. It never worked, it’s never going to work. I’m open to, and hopeful for, new ideas.

[TheIronMaiden]

As someone who has to occasionally step over used needles on the way to work, I like the idea of having places where people can go to inject. Not for the addicts sake necessarily, more so because the needles won't be left out on the street.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Want them to drive there?


As far as the taxes go, I’m definitely not an expert. But I would be interested in seeing the cost comparison between this option and arresting/detaining/the entire judicial process that follows. Guess who pays for the lawyer.

Edit: I guess you could add the cost of emergency rooms visits and paramedic response for overdoses to the latter option as well.

The bus is a thing that exists. Unless this mobile unit is going to be like Skip The Dishes with heroin and make house calls to every person then people will already be going to where it is, might as well keep that location at Chumir.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Doesn't seem like too much to ask for the addicts to go to one centralized location for taxpayer funded heroin consumption.

Are you under the impression that the tax payers are covering the cost of the heroin?

[icecube]

https://www.hri.global/what-is-harm-reduction

Harm reduction is best practice and will save taxpayers money in the long run. Hospital visits and ambulances are insanely expensive relative to the cost of programs like this.

[Street Pharmacist]

While needles can cause injury, are an eyesore and dangerous with children around, worth noting that no one has got hepatitis it HIV from a community needlestick injury.

They're not as dangerous as they seem

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

As someone who has to occasionally step over used needles on the way to work, I like the idea of having places where people can go to inject. Not for the addicts sake necessarily, more so because the needles won't be left out on the street.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

While needles can cause injury, are an eyesore and dangerous with children around, worth noting that no one has got hepatitis it HIV from a community needlestick injury.

They're not as dangerous as they seem

I am not implying that I fear these needles, I can just step over them, I am saying is that walking past used needles is as pleasant as walking passed used condoms.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

I am not implying that I fear these needles, I can just step over them, I am saying is that walking past used needles is as pleasant as walking passed used condoms.

Sorry, I was trying to add context rather than imply anything

[Amethyst]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Doesn't seem like too much to ask for the addicts to go to one centralized location for taxpayer funded heroin consumption.

Just it explain it logically to the addict. I'm sure he/she will see your point and adjust behaviour accordingly.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

The location should also serve pizza and munchies and if it is not convenient then there should be some type of car service to take them there.

the car service should be a nice clean unit - preferably in an upper trim level like LX or perhaps a Limited, not a hooptie

Do you get all your drug info from marijuana fear commercials? "Heroin users shooting up in safe consumption site, surely this munchies joke will work. You know druggies and their munchies!".

[longsuffering]

With some of these posts I find myself wondering if I stumbled into the Calgary Sun comment section. SMH

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