Fight drug crisis with early full-time care for addicts
Re: Death toll spikes, Dec. 20 We need more than recovery beds and crisis management. We need a return to full-time care for the most vulnerable patients at the start of their illness so they don’t need recovery beds. This is called tertiary care and is most beneficial at the beginning of a person’s illness.
My family member is returning home after a full year in such a facility.
My family member’s goal in the past was to be homeless, free, living on the sidewalk or in the forest with no rules and being high all the time. He almost lost his battle with street drugs more than once.
It has taken a full year of 24-hour care and supervision to bring his thoughts in line enough to appreciate a warm, comfortable, sober living environment with esteem-building chores of everyday healthy living. He’s sleeping and eating well and choosing healthy behaviour. Tertiary care has managed to ward off drug addiction issues at this point.
My heart breaks for all the friends and families of people who haven’t been so lucky.
While the $43 million earmarked to respond to the drug crisis is much-needed, I know first-hand that lives can be saved if investments are made in making tertiary care more available to prevent or minimize the drug use issue in the first place.
Sue Pazder, Sidney
Protect foreign workers
Re: Case of mistaken identity or caught in the act?, Dec. 19
The story about the restaurant owner who turned in one of his workers for being in the country illegally is disturbing. The restaurant owner (Tariq Chaudhry) had sponsored the worker, but didn’t report him until the worker filed a lawsuit alleging abusive labour practices. This in itself is the problem with the foreign worker program.
A worker is sometimes brought into the country, paid less than legal wages and forced to work in poor or dangerous working conditions — with the threat of having their sponsorship cancelled if they complain. Ignorance of the law by the worker often stops them from complaining for fear of being sent back.
There should be some kind of follow up by an inspector to ensure that the program is being used as intended. Also, the business should be named so that the public knows the type of establishment they are supporting.
John White, Surrey
Irresponsible medical advice
Re: Take care of your biomes and they will take care of you, Dec. 18
According to doctors Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz, the biggest “game changer” for the urogenital biome is circumcision.
The removal of a healthy human tissue that has a long list of important functions is a game changer indeed. I hope that readers would research the physical and psychological harm caused by male circumcision before they violate bodily integrity and human rights in the interest of the “penile biome.”
Nature seems to do a fine job of creating healthy biomes without genital mutilation and, as with other biomes mentioned, good hygiene can accomplish the rest. I am appalled by this irresponsible advice.
Paul Brunt, Vancouver