Lethbridge needs a solution that works for us

LETTERS

Opioids. Needles. Businesses. Community safety. Lethbridge is in crisis.

Much has been said about the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts that prescribe what we should be doing. It’s good information. However, WHO does not live here. They deal with this at a global level, while we experience it daily at a local level. The situation in Lethbridge is not identical to the rest of the world. We are unique. I am told that Calgary has less Supervised Consumption Site (SCS) visits than Lethbridge (now 15,000 a month) and yet has more than 12 times the population! We must find our own solution that works for us.

We accept that harm reduction is a good goal for the opioid crisis and saves lives. However, harm reduction for addicts resulting in increased harm to our community is not an acceptable tradeoff.

Eliminating needles being handed out in our city may or may not result in a reduction in needle debris and other negatives. The only way we will find out is to try. For the safety and vibrancy of our community let’s stop the needles from leaving the SCS and all local sources. A friend of mine watched a person enter the SCS then exit with needles which he then proceeded to pre-load with drugs. In this case it appears even the dealers get needles from the SCS! Overdoses outside the SCS are taking away vital EMS and LPS resources from the rest of our community. Keep it contained to the SCS.

Eliminating needle distribution is a first step. The SCS has proven to be a huge detriment to the area. The next step will be to relocate the SCS to a more appropriate area. In the meantime, vastly increased security in the area is required to ensure the safety and comfort of employees and customers. Citizens at large and business people at large should have a seat on the mayor’s committee.

Mistakes have been made. It is time to learn and make improvements. What we have done so far isn’t working as planned so let’s do better, instead of deflecting by saying that the problem is everywhere.

I thank my fellow citizens for speaking out. You all have stories to tell. Your emails to council will make a difference, as well as your presence at the council meeting on Monday. See you there.

John Davies

Lethbridge