Canada's Drug Policy: Focus on Vancouver

Last week, Margaret Wente did a four part series on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Her story took her into the world famous area of poverty and addiction.

These are the links to her articles:

http://www.reportonbusiness.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080712.COWENT12/TPStory/?query=
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080714.wcowent15/BNStory/specialComment
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080720.wlivewente0721/BNStory/specialComment/
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080717.COWENT17/TPStory/?query=addiction

There is a lot of controversy about Harm Reduction, the Four Pillars which are Education, Treatment, Enforcement and Harm Reduction and comparisons to the USA’s War on Drugs. None have been much success.

As Margaret said people are very polarized on the issues. I live in Vancouver, am familiar with the Downtown Eastside and many of the changes in attitudes regarding drugs since the 1960’s. I have only seen the area decline and especially hit the chute in the last ten years.

Each individual on drugs needs to be dealt with as an individual. It is more about the person than the drug. An addict has a drug personae that can be very cold, very manipulative, dishonest, and by all appearances crazy. That is the drug. Under all that is the actual person. He is a little more hurt, damaged by the life he/she is living as an addict.

There are many forms of drug rehabilitation. Treatment is treatment, but I am talking about rehabilitation, which is the restoration to a state of health or usefulness and purposeful activity as through training or therapy.

I think the options for various forms of rehab need to be available. Not every rehab has success with every addict. I believe the point of agreement is that people can get off drugs, they can become dignified and contributing members of the society and they should be given that opportunity as a number one priority.