A commentary by a Langford resident.
While Canada has come a long way in understanding drug addiction as a medical issue, I’m afraid not enough is being done to prevent the systemic problem.
Drug addiction usually starts with our most vulnerable (young people) looking for new adventure. Most addicts will tell you they didn’t intend to become addicted, it just happened, and now they wish it never had.
It usually happens because they know someone who has a connection to supply the drugs, also known as a “dealer.”
The dealer’s motivation is money and repeat customers, the same as any business, so addictive drugs are their best sellers.
The problem is, as a society, we have not done enough to address the basic problem of the small-time (everyday) dealers who supply drugs to anyone, including the yet-to-be addicted.
We hear or read often how the police or our military seize large amounts of drugs and weapons, and that is a good thing. However, what about the daily dealers who often visit community places that support mostly drug addicted and homeless souls, where it’s a one-stop market for dealers to sell their wares?
Why are our officials not doing more to stop and prevent this from happening?
We should understand that in any addiction the first step in recovery is to abstain from use for as long as possible while getting medical help.
I believe that throwing money at the problem without a good plan is a waste of money and lives.
Sadly, that appears to be what is happening now in B.C. A more complete plan would be to ensure police arrest small-time daily dealers who frequent these known gathering places and confiscate their drugs. This would reduce the supply of dangerous drugs to the addicted.
At the same time we need our health authorities to offer clean drugs (for free, on a continuing basis) to the addicted who have just lost their main source of supply. Eliminating the income of daily dealers, while providing clean drugs to the addicted seems to be a better plan towards recovery.
I believe our politicians and policymakers do not have a plan to address this important issue. Unfortunately, it appears that the politicians of the day want the appearance of doing more by throwing money at the same old systems and not really addressing the basics of B.C.’s biggest problems.
Housing and health care and immediate support are all good, but these alone will not address the source of the problem. So far, I see no plans to stop the everyday small-time daily dealers from continuing to provide dangerous drugs.
When you have a leaking tap the first thing you must do is turn off the water.
Now that all the surplus money has been handed out, is there any hope of really eliminating B.C.’s biggest problem?
