Kudos to the government for closing safe injection sites

 

The Ontario Government has announced that safe injection sites within 200 meters of schools and childcare centres are no longer allowed. This will result in 10 safe injection sites being closed in Toronto. As with all issues like this, there is much controversy.

As a recovered alcoholic/addict and social worker who works with people active in addiction I applaud the move. These sites are glorified enabling sites. Addiction is a disease and a health issue and the addict cannot control his/her consumption. However, you cannot treat this disease like any other disease. Addiction/alcoholism is the only disease that tells one they do not have it.

By making it easier to use and lessoning the consequences of one’s addiction we only make it easier for someone to continue using. The only thing that causes change is pain (physical/emotional/spiritual). If we take away the pain then there’s little chance of someone having that moment of clarity where they decide to ask for help.

I heard that 40% of people who go to these sites have been referred to treatment. That is great but that means 60% do not. Taxpayer money would be better spent on paying for treatment and lessoning the wait times as that moment of clarity does not last long. It must be acted upon ASAP. One of my friends was going to work at a Toronto safe injection site and was told, in no uncertain terms, that he was not allowed to talk about recovery to people using the site. That sealed the deal for me on any pro-stance towards these sites.

The government has also banned any attempt at providing safe supply. Thanks God for that!!! It has been proven, in both Vancouver and London, Ontario, that this does not help the addict in the least. All they do is sell the safe supply and by stronger opiates. In Vancouver, it’s actually labelled safe supply which makes some of the people it’s sold to think it is totally safe to take. A 14-year-old died from this alleged safe supply in 2022 when she bought it off someone who the government gave it to. The Vancouver family has launched a lawsuit and rightfully so.

If we want to help people, we need five things:

A)   Quicker and free access to addiction treatment.

B)   Treatment centres need to be regulated. Currently they are not and many take advantage of that.

C)   The Ontario Mental Health Act needs to be changed so we can put people with severe mental health problems into institutions to get help they don’t realize they need.

D)   The proper institutions need to be built.

We need much more transitional housing. Many addicts are not ready for independent living

A    If someone is not ready to be clean and sober then nothing we can do will change his or her mind. However, making it easier to use sure won’t get them to the place they need to be to make that change.

Davka Dave (AKA: Dave the Dude)

 

Forced Treatment

 

There’s been some talk in the news and talk radio today about the possibility of forcing active alcoholics/addicts into treatment. A reporter asked future Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre if he would do that. Wisely, Poilievre said he didn’t think it would work but he would consider it if evidence showed it could work.

Well, as a recovered alcoholic/addict and social worker/addictions counsellor I can tell you that there’s no way it would. My fellow recovered alcoholics/addicts would agree that if one does not have a desire to stop then no matter what you do they won’t get clean/sober.

It took me five years to stop drinking/drugging. When I first started trying to get clean/sober, I did not have the desire to stop drinking. I could not envision a life without it. Despite legal ramifications, health consequences and friend/family consequences I could not come around to having a desire. It wasn’t until I had an emotional/spiritual rock bottom that desire arrived.

I work with many addicts/alcoholics who do not have the desire to stop feeding their addiction. Despite being homeless, broke and facing numerous consequences they do not want to stop. Forcing them into a treatment centre would do nothing but negatively influence those there who do have a desire to quit.

I’ve seen families send their children to treatment centres against their wishes. The children never make it. They either get kicked out for breaking rules (usually using) or negatively affect someone who may have had a chance.

Every active alcoholic/addict effects up to seven people in their lives. If you include the general public being effected by crime, costs of dealing with overdoses, ER visits, etc. then it effects society as a whole. Despite this, forcing someone into a treatment centre just won’t work. Unless you want to keep the person locked up for the rest of their life, they will go back to self-medicating.

The Ontario Mental Health Act prevents people with severe mental health issues from being held against their will unless they are a harm to themselves or others. This is a big problem because people don’t stabilize on medication. An addict/alcoholic with severe mental illness cannot get sober unless that part is taken care of first. So, while I disagree with forcing people into treatment I feel the Ontario Mental Health Act needs to be changed to put people back into institutions to get stable. Once stable mentally the desire for sobriety may come easier. We still have an issue with housing, poverty, etc. Until a person is also stable in that area then the addiction cycle will not stop.

Davka Dave (AKA: Dave the Dude)

We are here to Pass It On

 

The other day during a debate over the Plain Language Big Book someone said that we shouldn’t criticize it as it’s not for us to decide how someone should get sober. I was astonished. The whole purpose of Alcoholics Anonymous is to show those who come after us how to get sober through Service, Unity Recovery. They are the three pillars of Alcoholics Anonymous.

                        Service – Help Others

                        Unity – The Fellowship

                        Recovery – Working the 12 Steps

If you want to tell people in the Fellowship not to criticize someone who got sober outside of Alcoholics Anonymous that is fair. However, to suggest we should tell people who come to AA for help “just to figure it out and whatever they feel will work is good” is just plain wrong and a possible death sentence.

I walked through the doors of AA a beaten man. I was, “restless, irritable, discontent”. If it wasn’t for the fellow alcoholics I met who told me about the 12 Steps, my sponsor who guided me through them, my home group that started me on service work and the Fellowship that made feel I was no longer alone I would not be sober today.

I’m not sure what the Plain Language Book will say but from what I hear it is taking away the arch that keeps Alcoholics Anonymous alive. I’ve heard that it will NOT talk about the allergy. It will NOT suggest that one needs a spiritual experience in order to lose the obsession over alcohol. Apparently, it’s being turned into a book of psychology.

The Big Book tells us that, “no human power could relieve us of our alcoholism”. That includes doctors, psychologist, psychiatrists, etc. That was true for me and for the dozens of fellow alcoholics I have heard share in my almost two decades of sobriety.

The Big Book is how I got sober and will remain the textbook I pass on to those who ask me for help.

Davka Dave (AKA: Dave the Dude)

The Fear is Real

 

I usually just write on recovery stuff but there is a lot of stuff going on in the world today that is effecting me. It is bringing out some fears that I have not experienced before. Since fear is a big part of recovery, I guess this is recovery related after all.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you have to be aware of the attack on Israel on October 7 by the terrorist group Hamas. There were 1,139 people (mostly civilians) killed, 240 people were taken as hostages. Many of the hostages have been beaten, raped and murdered. The attack was followed by Israel defending itself. If this had happened to any other country there would be little criticism. But since it’s Israel it is being heavily criticized by the woke left who support Hamas. I believe a big part of the left’s support of these terrorists is due to fact that the philosophy of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) has gone way beyond its original intent. It was originally supposed to make all people equal but like all good ideas it has been taken over by idiocy. Those who follow IDE now believe that anyone who has overcome challenges and become successful are now the enemies. Combine that with racist Critical Race Theory beliefs and chaos has fallen upon the West. Those of the Jewish race have been taking the brunt of this neo-racism that the woke left hold dear. Just look at university campuses across North America. Misguided woke leftists students have created encampments on campuses and are blocking Jewish students from attending classes. There are pro-terrorist marches blocking traffic and hospitals as well as causing chaos on a weekly basis across the West. I live in Canada and see people waiving pro-Hamas flags daily on bridges over Highway 401.

All of this has created a fear and caution in me that I have never experienced in my 54 years on this planet. I’ve begun wearing a Mogen David (Star of David) to show my support for Israel. However, in the back of my mind I’m always wary of someone saying something to me. I recently posted a funny video on Tiktok where I happened to be wearing a shirt with the Israel flag on it. The video had nothing to do with the current situation. Yet I received some very antiemetic comments including someone telling me I should dress like the Nazis made the Jews dress in the 30s.

The other day I called CAA for a tow as my car wouldn’t start. I happened to be wearing my Israel shirt and, of course, my Mogen David. The driver who came to tow my car was a really nice guy. However, in the back of my mind I kept worrying that he may have some negative views towards Jews. Luckily, this was not the case but I have never had these worries before.

This is nothing compared to what my grandparents went through when they lived in Europe and then came to Canada. I still remember my Bube (Grandmother) crying on a regular basis because all her relatives were murdered in the Nazi concentration camps. Before I was born there was a local golf course with a sign that said “No Dogs or Jews Allowed”.

I remind myself that most people are good and just want to live their lives peacefully

I pray that conflict in the Middle East is over soon and that the current rise in anti-Semitism reverses itself.

Dave the Dude

Stop getting so worked up!!

 

I hear many people cutting up advice/suggestions that are not in the Big Book without any explanation at all. I’ve made the odd joke myself. I think of lot of sayings/advice we hear does work if it’s put into proper context.  

I recently criticized the saying “meeting makers make it”. Let me qualify that criticism. If a newcomer comes around and just hears “meeting makers make it” and think all you have to do is go to meetings to stay sober then the majority of them will not. Meetings are, of course, important. When I first came into the rooms, I went to a ton of meetings. I didn’t do 90 in 90 (another saying people criticize) but approximately 180 in 90. Going to that many meetings grounded me, helped with my mental health and made me feel a part of the Fellowship. However, I also got a sponsor, began the Steps and got active. If I hadn’t done those three then I doubt I would have stayed sober. I wasn’t working at the time and going to those meetings, interacting with fellow alcoholics and helping run a service meeting got me out of myself and into recovery mode. For me it was an essential anchor to my recovery.

Another saying people criticize is “relapse is part of recovery”. If you’re talking about picking up a drink/drug then I completely agree. The relapse part of recovery is returning to your old ways, character defects and stinking thinking. There’s been many the time where I relapsed in my emotional sobriety. However, I had the tools necessary to realize what I did (or a sponsor to point it out to me) and was able to make the correction before I fell off that wagon and took a drink/drug.

There’s a large group of people who really dislike “acceptance is the answer to all my problems today” while another group of people love it. (Page 417, Big Book, 4^th Edition). I don’t see why people hate it so much. I have to accept situations as being what they are. The old me tried to change everything to fit what I expected, got a resentment because I couldn’t and then took a drink. I try my best to have my acceptance higher than my expectations so I don’t get a resentment. Acceptance doesn’t mean you accept abuse/violence. It means if you’ve experienced something like that you must accept that it has happened, look at your options (this includes asking for help) then proceed.

Finally, I keep seeing people getting really angry over the saying, “One Day at a Time”. To me this refers to staying sober. Before I came into the rooms a big hindrance to remaining sober was worrying about what I would do come holidays, my birthday, etc. One Day at a Time taught me to just tell myself I’ll stay sober for the next 24 hours and not worry about tomorrow. When tomorrow came, I did the same thing. One Day at a Time does not mean I don’t plan for the future. One has to do that. I have to plan future vacations, for upcoming events, who’s going to chair my home group next week, etc.

When I hear something, I try to look at it from all angles before rejecting it. I try to follow the famous Herbert Spencer quote from our Big Book:

 

There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance.

This principle is contempt prior to examination.

When Harm Reduction Casuses Harm

 

I’ve been a recovered alcoholic/addict since January 7, 2005. When I first got sober I was dead set against any type of harm reduction. My opinion was the AA Way or the highway!! Since then my mind has opened to certain types of harm reduction.

I’ve worked on a couple street outreach vans where we handed out safe needle, crack and meth kits, etc. The theory behind handing out these kits is not to encourage drug use but to encourage safe drug use. An addict is going to use whether they have a clean needle or not. However, if they use a clean needle the chances that they contract a deadly or serious blood disease are lowered so when if they ever decide to get sober they don’t face an extra challenge. Getting sober is arduous enough without having the stress of a disease on top of it. Most people know you can catch a disease by sharing needles but do not know how sharing pipes can do it. If someone has a cut on his or her lip/mouth and blood gets on a shared pipe then it’s possible to spread a disease. It is not as bad as sharing needles but remember how careful we were during COVID?

Here’s where harm reduction begins to cause harm. In Canada, particularly Vancouver, we have what’s called safe supply. Safe supply is when the government (funded by taxpayers) hand out free opiates to addicts. Since Vancouver started doing this, the number of overdoses have not gone down. In fact, they have been in record numbers. The safe supply that is given out, for free, is hydromorphone. Most of the people who get this free handout then sell it on the streets and buy Fentanyl. So, in essence, we are funding their drug addiction.

Addiction is a disease and one should not be ashamed that they have it nor be ashamed to seek help. However, it is a unique disease as it’s the only disease that tells you that you don’t have it. If someone had offered me free booze and drugs while I was addictive in my addiction it would’ve been a lot harder for me to reach my moment of clarity which led to change and a decision to get sober.

In my personal and professional experience, one does not change if one does not feel some kind of pain. Free drugs, and what appears to be a new woke philosophy that we should accept that active addiction is fine and dandy thus not encouraging people to get sober, is adding to the death toll. A recent documentarian was in my area to show and talk about his documentary “Love in the Time of Fentanyl”. It’s about the opiate crisis in Vancouver. One of the people in the film was on hand as well. She is an active addict that works at the safe injection sites. She is allowed to smoke crack on the job. What type of job allows someone to actively use drugs/alcohol? I remember in my second treatment centre I told my counsellor that I wish I could get a job that paid me to drink. I guess I should have moved out to Vancouver. Although, I’m pretty sure if I did that I would’ve died from pancreatitis.

Dave the Dude

When Harm Reduction Becomes Enabling

 

I’ve been a recovered alcoholic/addict for many moons now having surrendered on January 7, 2005. When I first got sober I was dead set against any type of harm reduction. I was solely focused on keeping myself sober. Since then my mind has opened to certain types of harm reduction.

I’ve worked for a couple of street outreach programs over the years and handed out clean needles, crack/meth pipes, condoms and Naloxone kits. I see the need for these types of harm reduction as they keep people from contracting deadly or life altering diseases. I always say that one day an active addict may decide they want to get sober, and because they used these safe supplies, they don’t have the challenge of battling a disease on top of the very challenging journey of becoming sober – and eventually recovered.

While in support of the above mentioned harm reduction there are certain ones I’m dead set against. I’ve written a few blogs about how methadone is terrible stating that it’s just a money maker for doctors (who I’ve had tell clients, who wanted to wean off, that it would not be good for them and refused to help) as well as being harder to get off then heroin. I also believe that a big part of recovery is freedom – freedom to go and do what you want (not drinking/using of course). Having to go to a pharmacy once a day, or week, to get a drink hardly says freedom. Plus, you continue to receive methadone even if you continue to use opioids and/or other mind altering substances. A substitute for methadone is Suboxone. Before someone starts this they have to go 24 hours without anything – an uncomfortable withdrawal occurs. It’s this type of uncomfortableness that may lead someone to have a moment of clarity. You can also wean off of Suboxone far easier than Methadone.

I recently learned that there is a “harm reduction” program in Toronto, Ontario where workers teach people how to inject drugs. Why not go all the way and inject the heroin, etc. for the person? This is like trying to help an alcoholic by pouring whisky down their throat. For someone to finally decide to get sober they need to have a moment of clarity which is usually due to some sort of physical, emotional and or spiritual pain. By showing them how to inject a chance at feeling this type of pain is taken away.

Taking away any type of pain or uncomfortableness is not harm reduction but clearly crossing over that fine line of help to enabling. Enabling someone whether it be in addiction, stagnation, etc. is never a healthy thing.

Dave the Dude