Part 3 Addiction

So, I have stated first, we need the correct systems in place, and second, we need healthy citizens for a better society. One of the root problems in society, though, is addiction. A mental health problem that can lead to so much more. Family violence, crime, homelessness, job loss, and on and on. There is no cure for addiction. There is management, and there are many things we can do much better to help addicts and society. So, let's tackle this one next. 

I like drinking! I like the taste of a good whiskey or red wine. Or the supposed "no taste" of good vodka. I like that little boost of confidence that tells me, hell ya, you can dance! Or the fact that, yes, after a long day, it does take an edge off. I have a ton of great memories of times when booze was around... The flip side of that is I'm not too fond of hangovers. I hate not knowing what happened the night before; I guess there is a term for this now: hangxiety. Some of my worst memories and things I hate about myself were also when booze was flowing..... I may refer back to alcohol a few times as it is almost society's accepted addiction, and I think everyone knows someone who maybe drinks too much. It highlights a few of the points I want to make. 

Addictions usually start fun. The first beer you have, the first joint. Or it is peer pressure like cigarettes, or they become exciting when you win like a VLT. People wouldn't become addicted if there weren't some thrill or feeling. It's a slow process; maybe a beer after work every day. Then perhaps a couple, more and more until it's a daily drunk. Or the other kind, no, I don't drink every day, but payday comes, and bills all get paid, and then the rest goes into that addiction. Until it becomes, the bills don't get paid, the addiction does. Next comes lying and hiding, not admitting there is a problem. This is when the fights start. Maybe it leads to domestic abuse or theft or a million other things. It can lead to a broken home, which can lead to another generation of problems. Hopefully, long before that, the person feels like they hit rock bottom and looks for help. Hopefully, they can get it and salvage things before it gets too bad. That's just booze and using a middle-class family. What about people with worse addictions? People without a safety net or no one to stop them from spiraling out of control. People who do end up on the street or committing crimes for the money to keep the addiction going? These are the people I am even more worried about. People who may waste a life because they can't overcome an addiction. People who act because of addiction may hurt society.

So, the first thing is getting drugs off the street. We need a real war on drugs, not the Regan administration's war on poor and black people, but an actual war. If we can stop the drugs, we can stop or slow down addiction. Slowing that down is going to slow down crime. Everything from theft to prostitution slows down. Taking out a street-level dealer won't fix any issues. I would make a bet. If you took out EVERY street-level dealer in Edmonton, we might not see drugs for a day. Within a week, I would bet 30% is back out there, and within a month, things are back to normal. People will do it as long as there is a quick buck to be made and a supply. I'm not saying we shouldn't go after that level, but again, it's a bandaid. I believe in chances or a chance. A first offense with a SMALL amount a hard slap on the wrist. Something to make someone think about what they did, but not a lengthy jail sentence. This is where I struggle: what can deter people but not put them in the system and make them more hardened criminals? Also, I don't believe it should be nothing, or they will not learn. However, a second offense should be harsh. Also, I think with that first offense, there should be options. Is the person an addict? Maybe rehab. Do they need work or an education? A program towards that. Giving people options, not just punishment, will make them think about life a bit. If you can catch someone producing drugs, that should be heavy time, and if you can prove someone's product killed someone in an OD, that should at least be manslaughter. Our light on the criminal system is half the problem. But I will go into that more in a future policing blog. My point is there needs to be a targeted attack on drugs and those who peddle them, but it can't just get a few dealers off the street.

I need to be clear on safe injection sites. In the end, I don't approve of them. I did some thinking on it to get to that, though. First, I want to support them, and I like clean, safe places where no one is ODing by themselves, and I want pure, not poisonous drugs for these people. That's humanity in me. But I am a NIMBY; I live in a nice neighborhood and would not want that site there. I don't think it is wrong for anyone to not want a site in their community. The problem is I don't think there are accurate findings on safe sites. You can find a million opinion pieces, and you can find studies both saying they are working and they are not. Or they are working but bad for the neighborhoods they are in. I will be honest; this is just an opinion, but any community where drugs are prevalent is usually not a nice neighborhood. In general, we do not feed other addictions. We don't give gamblers an extra $50 to play the slots safely. We don't hand whiskey to alcoholics. So why are we feeding this addiction? That does not make sense. HOWEVER, if we are going to have these things, I honestly believe they should be set away from residential areas. Put them in industrial, bus people there if needed. There should be a police presence, and I assume there already is at these sites, but there are many help options! 

If we are talking about safe sites, let's talk about the Pandora's box of decriminalization. Liquor is the best example I can think of. It has been legal forever. History books have discussed wine, beer, or whatever for hundreds or thousands of years. It is "out of the box," and they tried to put it back in the box with prohibition in the states. It made speakeasies glamorous. It also led to the American Mafia becoming one of the most powerful criminal organizations in the world for a few decades. The money and influence it gave them let them seep into all aspects of society. You can't put it back in once you take something out of the box and people try it. Or if you do, someone will supply it, and likely it won't be a good person. We have done this with marijuana, and honestly, I don't mind. You rarely see someone smoking weed get into an angry bar fight. Right or wrong, I would rather someone who just smoked a joint behind the wheel than someone who shot-gunned a few beers. The truth is I think weed is less harmful, but that is just my opinion. My worry is decriminalizing. Give an inch, and people will take a mile. If you let people have a little, they will want more. From there, it spreads; well, if he can have a bit of heroin, why can't I have a bit of coke or meth? Hard drugs are a lot different than weed, and these people aren't just harmless, laid-back stoners. These hard drugs cause the mental issues we see on the streets. Or at least they contribute to it. Decriminalization isn't a human rights issue like gay marriage. Don't let people try to convince you it is. That was giving people the right to be happy, legally. People asking for decriminalization are asking to be allowed to pump poison into themselves. To harm themselves and society rather than treat an illness. Addiction needs help, not fed. 

The second is actual help for people with an addiction. The first thing I am going to say won't be popular, BUT once you need medical assistance, you are going to rehab; there are no options. If you are taken to a medical facility because of drugs, once you are healthy, you are going to detox whether you want to or not. Once you have taken up time and resources, you lose your options. I know they say people with a substance use disorder only stop when they want to, but I am HOPING once someone hits so low they need medical help, that is low enough. It might start grudgingly, but maybe by being sober and realizing how bad things were, they will get help. Or at least once made to get sober, they will realize being sober is better for them. Maybe not but I would expect a hand when someone is at their lowest would be good. If it fails, at least we can look back and say we tried and didn't just let someone carry on with their addictions. This has to be done right; it can't just be slammed into a cell and told to get clean. There needs to be help. Looking at the causes of why the person has an addiction. Is it an abusive house they need out of? Do they need mental health help? Do they need somewhere to live? Helping someone get clean is one thing, but we should aim to keep them clean and productive. This statement will pop up numerous times in this series of blogs, but we need to stop band-aid-fixing things. It isn't enough to get someone clean but not help them with the chance to move forward. If you look at it like a fiscal "con", doing it once and doing it right will cost a lot less than many of these programs. 

So, I doubt that mandatory addiction treatment will be popular, but as I said, if you tie up societies, time, and money. That's how you pay it back. I do, however, think addiction treatment should fall under public healthcare. I believe there are a few "free" treatment centers or ones funded by donations. That is good, we should be better. I am not an expert, so everything must be taken with a grain of salt here; this is my take. These places need to be comfortable; everything needs to be comfortable and inviting. Why would people want to come or stay if they aren't? It seems that many programs are a year. Education should be part of it or an option. I looked at one that said no education was allowed. If you help someone beat addiction but then push them out without skills, what good is that?? If a person wants an education, GED, or something, we should help them get it. Is there a RAPP program or something like that? If we can help high school kids start a trade, why would we not be able to help people recovering start a trade or any career? I cannot stress enough that helping someone get clean is not enough if we toss them back into society with nothing to do except possibly relapse. Aftercare is super critical as well. I know there are groups out there like AA and NA; we need those. I will be 100% open here. I have reached for the bottle a few times when stressed out. It's addict behavior, and I can only imagine what it is like for other people who are much more addicted. Without solid support, I suspect many people relapse, time and time again. So, helping people with a substance use disorder is a lifetime commitment. It is more than getting clean; it should be a well-rounded program. Here is where you can put some of that sin tax money I have discussed. I will pay an extra buck for a bottle of something if in the end, it helps people.

So, addiction is a hard one. It starts slowly but ruins lives and can cost society a lot once it takes hold. We must try to help, treat, and solve it as a nation. Not feeding it. We need to be bringing the people preying on addiction and putting them away. A slap on the wrist won't fix things. Also, we need the proper support for people. Actual support is not just giving quick treatment and hoping people survive but helping them survive. As I said, I am no expert, and if anyone has any thought, feel free to comment or message me.