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LETTER: Have some compassion for those who are struggling

Dear editor,
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Dear editor,

RE: Reader appalled that government supports safe injection sites

I, too, am appalled. I am appalled at our community’s collective lack of empathy. As a person who has lost a brother to overdose, I have several points of contention with the letter of Aug. 24.

1. Words matter. My brother was not a “drug addict.” My brother was a person, who happened to be addicted to drugs. Let us find and acknowledge the humanity in all people. The people “strolling in and out of that injection site” are people, just like you and me. However, unlike you and me, they are battling a life-threatening illness.

2. People who are addicted to drugs have been on our streets and in our community for far longer than the safe injection site. Your children did not suddenly become unsafe on the streets when the safe injection site opened. In fact, I would argue that people who are using the safe injection site are now disposing of their needles in an appropriate sharps container, thereby making our streets safer.

3. Safe injection sites save lives. Period. Safe injection sites provide life-saving overdose prevention, as well as connect those who are addicted with services in our community to help them manage and overcome their addictions. The longer a person addicted to drugs stays alive, the more likely they are to seek help. The safe injection site should be open more, as overdoses happen 24-7, not Monday to Friday, 9-12, 1-4.

Lastly, please acknowledge that addiction takes many forms – social media, wine, coffee, tea, TV – as well as drugs; some are just more socially acceptable than others. So, a little dose of the Golden Rule would do us all good: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Please have some respect and compassion for those in our community who are struggling, battling demons you cannot even imagine.

Stacey Koss

Courtenay