Drug addiction. Its not necessarily easy to fix, but we know how to treat it and take care of our vulnerable, we just don’t: social workers, public services, shelters, safe drug sites with drug counselors. We’ve become so numb to the mass suffering on a societal and individual level.
Personal anedcote, a year ago, a man was dying of an OD next to our Tim Horton’s drive thru, splayed out in the middle of the road, and the dozens of people driving by cared more about getting their coffee and getting to work than to even call an ambulance. I went to the pharmacy down the road and got a narcan kit and administered it, but Jesus Christ I lost a lot of trust and faith in my fellow man that day. Not enough people care; even people I love and respect say disgusting things about homeless people.
Too many people just view scientifically sound treatment as drug addicts getting stuff for free, and get pissed off that someone else gets a “benefit” that they aren’t entitled to. They completely ignore the knock on effects that drug addiction has to those around someone going through it and just focus on what they perceive as unearned rewards for bad behavior.
I kind of think that a lot of people would be in favor of the same programs if they were pitched without being centered on the person getting treated for their addiction. Like, instead of saying, “This plan represents the best method we have to get people off drugs,” some of those same people that are totally lacking in empathy would be in favor of it if it were put forward as, “This is a way to get all those druggies off the streets and trains where they bother you, and it’s actually way cheaper than putting them all in prison, so it works out that we spend less of your tax money and save you in the long term.” Which is a pretty damning indictment of those people.
Drug addiction. Its not necessarily easy to fix, but we know how to treat it and take care of our vulnerable, we just don’t: social workers, public services, shelters, safe drug sites with drug counselors. We’ve become so numb to the mass suffering on a societal and individual level.
Personal anedcote, a year ago, a man was dying of an OD next to our Tim Horton’s drive thru, splayed out in the middle of the road, and the dozens of people driving by cared more about getting their coffee and getting to work than to even call an ambulance. I went to the pharmacy down the road and got a narcan kit and administered it, but Jesus Christ I lost a lot of trust and faith in my fellow man that day. Not enough people care; even people I love and respect say disgusting things about homeless people.
Too many people just view scientifically sound treatment as drug addicts getting stuff for free, and get pissed off that someone else gets a “benefit” that they aren’t entitled to. They completely ignore the knock on effects that drug addiction has to those around someone going through it and just focus on what they perceive as unearned rewards for bad behavior.
I kind of think that a lot of people would be in favor of the same programs if they were pitched without being centered on the person getting treated for their addiction. Like, instead of saying, “This plan represents the best method we have to get people off drugs,” some of those same people that are totally lacking in empathy would be in favor of it if it were put forward as, “This is a way to get all those druggies off the streets and trains where they bother you, and it’s actually way cheaper than putting them all in prison, so it works out that we spend less of your tax money and save you in the long term.” Which is a pretty damning indictment of those people.