Re: “Consumption sites save lives,” editorial, Aug. 9.
Drug addiction is one of many problematic symptoms seen in our society today due to unfulfilled basic human needs such as love, community and holistic wellness.
It is shameful to call a supervised drug-injection site a “health and wellness centre.” As a health and wellness professional, I ask: How does providing a place for suffering, vulnerable persons to poison themselves have anything to do with health or wellness?
Wellness is the “active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life,” a “positive approach to living.” Health is defined as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Supervised drug-injection sites: 1) continue demand for and production of drugs, 2) reward addicts for using, 3) facilitate downtown drug culture, and 4) drain limited government resources. Programs such as Operation HOPE reward addicts for giving up drugs, which is arguably the first step toward health and wellness.
Preventing deaths from drug overdose is admirable and compassionate, but has nothing to do with health or wellness. By providing safe-injection sites, our society normalizes drug abuse and discourages health and wellness.
Isolde Verbrugge
Langford
