A homeless charity has called on activists and supporters to march through Belfast on Saturday to protest against a sharp increase in the number of people dying on the streets of Northern Ireland’s capital.
And why are they dying? Because they are taking drugs and overdosing.
McCusker, of the Social Democratic and Labour party (SDLP), said Belfast was not providing enough accommodation, addiction services and mental health treatment to handle the big increase in the number of young homeless people. Many mixed heroin and other opiates with other drugs, he said. “Most people we work with take a cocktail of drugs, which puts them at greater risk.”
The cost of living was having a “massive” impact on homelessness, McCusker added.
Aren't drugs and alcohol pretty expensive? And if you spend all your money on those, you've not got enough for rent?
Extern has urged policymakers to open an overdose prevention facility – a designated place for people to take drugs under the supervision of trained staff, who provide drug treatment, mental health services, wound care and blood testing.
Great! When do they open a fake supermarket, so all the compulsive shoplifters can get their supervised 'fix'? Or allow predators to target schoolgirls under the eyes of the authorities and poli...
Oh, wait. They've already done that one, haven't they?
I (especially as an ex-nurse who actually had to deal with this day in, day out, with the same ‘repeat customers’ taking up much of the limited space/time/money until they eventually … stopped) support the view expressed by an American nurse/blogger. Three strikes and you’re out – you get Narcanned twice, after that … tough, and the self-selected, free-choice has consequences ‘problem’ would be self-resolved in a couple of months.
ReplyDeleteThe whole “give them extra money to provide for their ‘addiction’ and they’ll look after themselves” has a vague (unicorn/rainbow powered) rationale … until you realise it isn’t just (or even) an addiction, it’s a choice (just as homelessness most of the time). They don’t make bad choices that lead them to have ‘bad’ lives because they take drugs, they take drugs because they make bad choices.
That politicians and 'charities' are on the look out for more opportunities for/to expand graft is no surprise (how else are they to afford a new Mercedes and that holiday in the Maldives?). That ‘mental health practitioners’ will support this is, again no surprise when you realise (as I did when training) that most working in mental health do so because … they themselves have such issues (often more of, and more severe than, the patients they ostensible care for.
"Extern": it would be better if it were Exterm-inate.
ReplyDelete