Some Good Signs

For so many years now, I felt that I was one of a handful of voices crying in the wilderness.

When would the Harm Seduction strategies be exposed for the muddle-headed, silver bullet dreaming, uncaring and ineffective mistakes that many of us knew them to be?

When would drug addiction treatment be recognized, funded and welcomed?

Well, perhaps I am suffering from a small and forgivable case of optimism these days, but I am seeing some signs of hope.

1. Susie and Robert Ruttan have worked tirelessly with their group, From Grief to Action, to bring a therapeutic community-styled residential treatment program to BC. Portage, which has been serving the cause for 30 years now in Quebec is on track to open a facility in Keremeos.

That's the good news. The bad news is much more money is needed to bring this important reality to life. Help them.

2. MLA Lorne Mayencourt has been working tirelessly to open a similar program near Prince George, this one modelled on the San Patrignano success.

3. Alex Tsakumis writes with great passion on a regular basis in 24 Hours about the dreadful misguided ideas flowing from City Hall and the office of The Nutty Mayor.

4. Justice Wallace Craig maintains a steady flow of informed and knowledgeable insight on these subjects in his column in the North Shore News.

5. More and more people from every walk of life, wherever I wander these days tell me that they are appalled at the drivel and lies and fake statistics and self-serving spin coming from the Harm Seduction, Free Needles, Free Drugs, Free Substitutes, Clean Shooting Galleries people who are causing immense public harm, growing the problems exponentially and personally profiting from the continuation and expansion of The Misery Biz.

More and more people everywhere in our communities are demanding Prevention, Enforcement and Treatment. Remember those? They were the other 3 pillars in the endlessly promoted - but hardly realized - Four Pillars approach.

The way the official voices speak of the Four Pillars you would think this is Torah handed directly down from God. Philip Owen is God? We're in deep trouble, kids.

Slowly, slowly, ever so slowly the tide is turning.

Do whatever you can as often as you can to convince your friends and neighbours and even those poor blighted souls who have been elected to office that Treatment is crucial, that Treatment is affordable, that Treatment is Now.