Criminals or Mentally Ill?
I got the chance to talk to Susan Sterling (a former member of Faith) today. She was telling me about a program they have going on in Victoria, B.C. for heroine addicts. I'll warn you now, I don't know much about it, except for what she told me, so if you want exact details and such, then you'll have to research it for yourself.
Well, the program is instilled to help heroine addicts get clean needles and heroine. This enables drug addicts to use the drug in the safest manner possible. By doing this, the drug addicts, most of them, end up wanting to free themselves from their addiction. This is because when they are on the streets, they have to resort to illegal means to obtain the drugs, by either stealing it, dealing it, or prostitution to get money for the drugs. In places in Europe, I believe, they also have this program for addicts. Once this program was created, it reduced crime by 60%. That's huge, because a lot of the crime was from dealers and other addicts trying to get drugs any way they can. But by having a program, it allows them to focus on other things in life, such as a job. The statistics reported that of the addicts enrolled in this program, 40% end up being fully employed for long periods of time. This is incredible, because without it, the addicts would be on the street causing trouble and with no job or any place to live. By having this program, it helps them to get their lives on track. Most places have social workers working full time to help the addicts with withdrawal and the whole process of giving up the addiction, which addicts can enroll in at anytime they feel they are ready to quit.
While this program does seem helpful, the States and some legal authorities are outraged by the installation of this program because they see heroine addicts as criminals, when really they are mentally ill. It is like a disease because these people, almost all of them, once they get in, it is difficult to get out and they so desperately want to get their lives on track but they can't because they don't have the willpower or the resources to do so. So by having this program, it helps them get their lives back in order and quit the addiction altogether. Although this does seem positive, there are some who, after as early as a week, get right back on heroine. But I don't think that we should see them as criminals, because it is something that is affecting the addict mentally. Just like alcohol, it is a poison that slowly takes over the abuser and it is hard to get out. Though alcohol isn't as extreme as heroine, it still has the same effect on the person. They become abusers and addicted, they think it's an escape from their problems when really it becomes the biggest problem in their life; they use it to feel a high and then eventually use it to feel "normal" and they truly believe they cannot function throughout the day without it. It is a sad state to be in, but there are lots of people who suffer from addiction and it should be helped in every way possible. Addicts are considered mentally ill, but the ones distributing it are considered to be the real criminals. This is because most there are a lot of dealers who don't even use heroine, but they feel it is a means to acquiring money, which it is, it's just not the greatest way to do so.
But then again, looking at it from a Christian perspective, it may seem Biblically wrong. You know, this program is distributing the drug, legally however because they had to apply to the ministry of health as well as to get exempt from certain parts of the criminal code. Some may see it as morally wrong because the addicts are still getting the drug. But really, in the end it has proven to help stop addicts from being abusers of the drug and also significantly lowered the rate of crime. To me, this is an assistance to addicts rather than a hindrance.
That's really all I know from the situation considering I only had twenty minutes to talk to Susan in the car. Let me know what your take is on this. As I said, I'm not educated on this subject really at all, so maybe there are more details that would condemn this program or maybe prove it to be successful.
Well, the program is instilled to help heroine addicts get clean needles and heroine. This enables drug addicts to use the drug in the safest manner possible. By doing this, the drug addicts, most of them, end up wanting to free themselves from their addiction. This is because when they are on the streets, they have to resort to illegal means to obtain the drugs, by either stealing it, dealing it, or prostitution to get money for the drugs. In places in Europe, I believe, they also have this program for addicts. Once this program was created, it reduced crime by 60%. That's huge, because a lot of the crime was from dealers and other addicts trying to get drugs any way they can. But by having a program, it allows them to focus on other things in life, such as a job. The statistics reported that of the addicts enrolled in this program, 40% end up being fully employed for long periods of time. This is incredible, because without it, the addicts would be on the street causing trouble and with no job or any place to live. By having this program, it helps them to get their lives on track. Most places have social workers working full time to help the addicts with withdrawal and the whole process of giving up the addiction, which addicts can enroll in at anytime they feel they are ready to quit.
While this program does seem helpful, the States and some legal authorities are outraged by the installation of this program because they see heroine addicts as criminals, when really they are mentally ill. It is like a disease because these people, almost all of them, once they get in, it is difficult to get out and they so desperately want to get their lives on track but they can't because they don't have the willpower or the resources to do so. So by having this program, it helps them get their lives back in order and quit the addiction altogether. Although this does seem positive, there are some who, after as early as a week, get right back on heroine. But I don't think that we should see them as criminals, because it is something that is affecting the addict mentally. Just like alcohol, it is a poison that slowly takes over the abuser and it is hard to get out. Though alcohol isn't as extreme as heroine, it still has the same effect on the person. They become abusers and addicted, they think it's an escape from their problems when really it becomes the biggest problem in their life; they use it to feel a high and then eventually use it to feel "normal" and they truly believe they cannot function throughout the day without it. It is a sad state to be in, but there are lots of people who suffer from addiction and it should be helped in every way possible. Addicts are considered mentally ill, but the ones distributing it are considered to be the real criminals. This is because most there are a lot of dealers who don't even use heroine, but they feel it is a means to acquiring money, which it is, it's just not the greatest way to do so.
But then again, looking at it from a Christian perspective, it may seem Biblically wrong. You know, this program is distributing the drug, legally however because they had to apply to the ministry of health as well as to get exempt from certain parts of the criminal code. Some may see it as morally wrong because the addicts are still getting the drug. But really, in the end it has proven to help stop addicts from being abusers of the drug and also significantly lowered the rate of crime. To me, this is an assistance to addicts rather than a hindrance.
That's really all I know from the situation considering I only had twenty minutes to talk to Susan in the car. Let me know what your take is on this. As I said, I'm not educated on this subject really at all, so maybe there are more details that would condemn this program or maybe prove it to be successful.
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