NationStates Jolt Archive

In my Law class tomorrow, we are having a class debate about whether Vancouver should continue to operate safe injection sites. The first thing to cross my mind was "What do the people on NSGeneral think about this topic?" So, what do all of you think about Safe Injection Sites?

For those not in the know: Wikipedia to the rescue! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_injection_sites)

Yeah. Needle Park was such a big success, it should be repeated everywhere! We'll begin shipment of our junkies to the Frozen North immediately.. :p

So you have a government sanctioned place where people can use illegal drugs?

weird.

I had never heard of that, I mean there are places here like needle exchange where you can get fresh needles and stuff, but not a shooting gallery.

I don't think I like that idea, it kinda strikes me like the parents of one of my friends who said "We don't want you drinking underage, but if you are going to, then let us buy your alchohol and just drink here, so you are safe"

I so thought my friend was lying when he told me that, he wasn't. I was shocked and sickened, and then I got drunk with him and felt better.

My parents were more of the "drinking underage isn't acceptable, but if you ever get stuck somewhere and need a sober ride call us"

I think that is a better way to discourage drug use, you know, kinda "we don't want you to do it, but if you get into trouble (run out of clean stuff) we will help you"

if any of that made any sense then I am doing much better on my cold meds.

if not, sorry.

We have these in Australia. If they are saving lives I don't see why not. Also, if they have facilities where people who need other help (whether it's counselling, help getting off drugs; whatever) can get them it's an even bigger plus.

i think they are a good idea. they are both compassionate and sensible.

i dont see any sense in letting people's vices endanger the general population (with Hiv and other diseases)

We have these in Australia. If they are saving lives I don't see why not. Also, if they have facilities where people who need other help (whether it's counselling, help getting off drugs; whatever) can get them it's an even bigger plus.
The site in Vancouver does provide counselling and help to quit drugs.

We have these in Australia. If they are saving lives I don't see why not. Also, if they have facilities where people who need other help (whether it's counselling, help getting off drugs; whatever) can get them it's an even bigger plus.

My thoughts exactly.

It's better to get these people off the streets and at least in an environment where they are no threat to the public and less of a threat to themselves. At which point, those who work for these safe injection sites can help these people by providing them with the recovery tools they need for a safe and gradual and natural recovery.

Putting someone in jail for putting an illegal substance doesn't help the problem. If they haven't done anything beyond put something in their body, they don't need to be prosecuted; they need help.

It's better to get these people off the streets and at least in an environment where they are no threat to the public and less of a threat to themselves. At which point, those who work for these safe injection sites can help these people by providing them with the recovery tools they need for a safe and gradual and natural recovery.

Putting someone in jail for putting an illegal substance doesn't help the problem. If they haven't done anything beyond put something in their body, they don't need to be prosecuted; they need help.
That is basically what I'll be arguing tomorrow. It would be nice if someone who is against Safe Injection Sites would post here, so I know what to expect to have to argue against. Although, only two or three people will have an idea on why they are for/against them.

That is basically what I'll be arguing tomorrow. It would be nice if someone who is against Safe Injection Sites would post here, so I know what to expect to have to argue against. Although, only two or three people will have an idea on why they are for/against them.One could argue that safe injection sites equals condoning drug use, facilitating drug use and lowering the threshold for people that aren't using hard drugs yet to start doing so.
Then there's the matter of location. If it's near a residential area, chances are the neighbours won't be happy to have so many junkies around.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. (I'm not against them btw, just thinking up some counter arguments)

One could argue that safe injection sites equals condoning drug use, facilitating drug use and lowering the threshold for people that aren't using hard drugs yet to start doing so.
Then there's the matter of location. If it's near a residential area, chances are the neighbours won't be happy to have so many junkies around.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. (I'm not against them btw, just thinking up some counter arguments)
Thanks for summing that up for me.

Also rounding up all the druggies in one area is a breeding ground. If the druggies go to the facility and don't reform all that will happen is they may make a few friends who are also into drugs and feel happyer to do it whenever.

Also rounding up all the druggies in one area is a breeding ground. If the druggies go to the facility and don't reform all that will happen is they may make a few friends who are also into drugs and feel happyer to do it whenever.


Which is pretty much what prison does for every other crime anyway.

The major problem that I have with injecting rooms is quite simply, drugs are illegal. Therefore, setting up places where people can inject legally is basically encouraging people to break the law. The other issues include that they have not been proven to be successful in stemming the drug trade, or encouraging junkies to get off drugs. Violent crime (in my experience) also tends to increase in the areas in which they are placed (because there are more junkies committing violent crimes).

The thing that annoys me specifically about the whole idea of methadone clinics/heroin trials/shooting galleries is that they tend to end up in lower class areas. For instance, where I live. Now, before we got a methadone clinic put in up the road from us, we had never, ever been broken into. And my family lives in one of the worst areas in Queensland. After the methadone clinic got put in, we got broken into four times in 6 months. Twice while we were at home asleep. Many of my friends have experienced similar, but more violent situations. the number of drug addicts and dealers living in my suburb has increased ten fold. Now, the methadone clinic was originally intended to be put in a nice, upper-class area of Brisbane. But the residents complained about the children (which per capita, my suburb has far more of) and the government moved it. When we complained, we were basically told to shove off.

As far as I'm concerned, drug addicts know two things before they ever put drugs into their bodies:
1. It is illegal.
2. There is the potential for addiction.

Therefore, they choose to do drugs, and they get what's coming to them. Even if that means a hefty jail sentence. If its a crime, we cannot allow people to do it legally.

I'd definatly agree with Saint Jade. Justifying the action of illigal drug use to make it safer is like making a suicide clinic so people could committ suicide in a safer way :headbang:

Heck, why not have the government sell these drugs to the people comming to the clinic, I'm sure it would be safer for the people who want to break the law and added bonus drug dealers would go bust..haha :mad:

One could argue that safe injection sites equals condoning drug use, facilitating drug use and lowering the threshold for people that aren't using hard drugs yet to start doing so.
Then there's the matter of location. If it's near a residential area, chances are the neighbours won't be happy to have so many junkies around.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. (I'm not against them btw, just thinking up some counter arguments)
Location-> Right in the middle of the downtown east side (highest consentration of drug users in Canada). Most buildings are empty or a place of buisness, the buisnesses would probably benifit from people being able to walk there without having to hassled for drugs.
New Users-> You must be addicted to the drugs before you can use them there. Usually obvious by how a person looks.
Condoning Drug Use-> ?

Also rounding up all the druggies in one area is a breeding ground. If the druggies go to the facility and don't reform all that will happen is they may make a few friends who are also into drugs and feel happyer to do it whenever.
They are already consentrated in one area. They all live on one road (Hastings) and only along a four block stretch.

The major problem that I have with injecting rooms is quite simply, drugs are illegal. Therefore, setting up places where people can inject legally is basically encouraging people to break the law. The other issues include that they have not been proven to be successful in stemming the drug trade, or encouraging junkies to get off drugs. Violent crime (in my experience) also tends to increase in the areas in which they are placed (because there are more junkies committing violent crimes).

The thing that annoys me specifically about the whole idea of methadone clinics/heroin trials/shooting galleries is that they tend to end up in lower class areas. For instance, where I live. Now, before we got a methadone clinic put in up the road from us, we had never, ever been broken into. And my family lives in one of the worst areas in Queensland. After the methadone clinic got put in, we got broken into four times in 6 months. Twice while we were at home asleep. Many of my friends have experienced similar, but more violent situations. the number of drug addicts and dealers living in my suburb has increased ten fold. Now, the methadone clinic was originally intended to be put in a nice, upper-class area of Brisbane. But the residents complained about the children (which per capita, my suburb has far more of) and the government moved it. When we complained, we were basically told to shove off.

As far as I'm concerned, drug addicts know two things before they ever put drugs into their bodies:
1. It is illegal.
2. There is the potential for addiction.

Therefore, they choose to do drugs, and they get what's coming to them. Even if that means a hefty jail sentence. If its a crime, we cannot allow people to do it legally.
Also encouraging them to break the law is the fact you wouldn't go to jail if you were caught with drugs before the Injection Site was introduced. The injection site is was built in an area that is becoming abandoned because nobody wants to run a buisness with so many drug addicts scaring off customers. The area is zoned for commercial buildings, not residential. The addicts won't get a jail sentance because the jails are too full and cost more than the cinjection site.

I remember eating at an outdoor cafe not far from Needle Park in Zurich in 1989.

I remember the inordinate number of beggars with signs. It looked like a magnet for people actively trying to remove themselves from the gene pool.

I remember eating at an outdoor cafe not far from Needle Park in Zurich in 1989.

I remember the inordinate number of beggars with signs. It looked like a magnet for people actively trying to remove themselves from the gene pool.
It is worse now.

It is worse now.

Honestly, I thought that was where the whole goth thing started, except that these people weren't wearing any makeup.

In my Law class tomorrow, we are having a class debate about whether Vancouver should continue to operate safe injection sites. The first thing to cross my mind was "What do the people on NSGeneral think about this topic?" So, what do all of you think about Safe Injection Sites?

For those not in the know: Wikipedia to the rescue! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_injection_sites)
I'm in favor of S.I.S. and if I'm not completely mistaken there are some in Germany as well (if only as some project to see how they work, but haven't really spend much time on research concerning that topic, to be honest).

I don't see any real disadvantages that would outweigh the advantages:

The people who'd use those facilities would use drugs anyway. S.I.S. won't make the use of illegal drugs legal or encourage the use of them, they only support the addicts in a humane way and also serve as a contact point for those who might seek help.

In addition, the risk of aquiring or transmitting diseases through repeated or shared use of needles is greatly reduced.

The number of deaths due to OD would also decrease in that kind of environment.

The needles won't end up lying around in places where they could pose harm to others (children on playgrounds come to my mind, not even thinking about frisking cops or people in parks...).

Last but not least - possession of drugs is illegal, not the use. Sure, one has to have them to use them, but phrasing the law that way favors the addict over the dealer - the way it should be.

(...)is like making a suicide clinic so people could committ suicide in a safer way(...)
Just because you don't agree it doesn't necessarily make that a bad idea (the Netherlands and Switzerland come to my mind)
Sorry for getting sidetracked for this one post (already posted on topic up there).

Would it attract every addict within a thousand miles?

I thought they closed the one in Zurich because it got really bad. Every addict and loser from all over Europe came there, all at the same time.