CRACKCOUVER / ADDICTION / HARM REDUCTION GONE BAD

[tpvalley]

also, infections are due to illegality/ contaminants, crime is due to expense, terrorism is due to illegaly grown opium cash crops etc; licence farmers in afghanistan, buy the product, starve the drug baron/ terrorists, provide clean opium, heroin etc.

every $10 stolen for drugs costs the state about $1000 (police, insurance etc).

On stable doses addicts can work.

do u drink alcohol btw? 1 in 5 die of chronic alcohol withdrawl, pure opiates cause hardly any harm to the body.

[AAABeatbox]

So I'm curious... where are you getting the idea that the Harm Reduction experiment has failed? All of the pictures that you display in this video are photos of individuals WITHOUT the Harm Reduction Stategies of nursers, facilities/ supervisions of safer drug use methods.

[USBorderGuard]

Thank you for this video and the work you do! Don't let the traitorous scum and perfidious parasites of the human race who wish to appease drug addiction get in your way of exposing the horrors of dug addiction. You are doing a tremendous noble deed for humanity with this shocking video. 

[uomodimerda]

they forget how to live...I'd rather be dead instead

[mrboobbarker]

This is a sad sad place to be, and I do know that given some work the powers that be CAN make changes. One block at a time, or even one inch at a time..if you can go an inch you can go the whole way! It is to bad that the weather is so nice there,cause a good 3 months of minus 30 temps every year is enough to keep the streets and in turn the ill-or homeless empty.. lol at least for 3 months the circle gets much smaller..if u know what i mean..

liz

[sunset40ify]

WE all have our opinions, but we are not the ones working with these people.If you can save one addicted street personthat is a start. Where should all of these people be put? There are more addicts than beat cops and there is only so much they can do.The jails are over crowded now and putting them in jail is not the answer. They need treatment and they can't be forced to do that ither, or the treatment won't work. Lets not make judgement, instead let all work to find some answers.

[catherinestdenis1]

How come you put the word addicts in quotation marks at 45? What would you have police do? What is the cure for addiction? Do you have a place for the homeless to live? What do you suggest to house those with mental health problems combined with addiction (the rate of these concurrent disorders is about 80%)? Does someone have to be clean to get help? Will you hire someone who has addiction in their past if you found out about it? Forget the small stuff, what about these BIGGIES?

[oscarsapig]

people choose what they want. do i want depravity and misery or do i want life and love? They have a choice at the least of everything. Just saying...

[wendyrussell44]

With results that have proven consistently beneficial to thousands of users, the program reflects an impressive 35% reduction in drug related area deaths vs. a 9% decrease amongst those who continue to use outside a controlled environment. What more needs to be said? INSITE is a humane project that accepts and deals with clients regardless of what stage they're at in their addiction, personal goals can range from complete cessation to safer use. The answer is not to dispose of people!!!

[wendyrussell44]

The harm reduction model is the ONLY form of treatment that does not completely abandon those who continue to struggle with substance abuse issues. Abstinence is NOT the only road to recovery and the All or Nothing concepts that insist on complete cessation from all mind-altering substances before one can enter treatment are absurd. Clearly far too little research was conducted before posting this video - INSITE's stats speak for themselves and not factoring them into this video is neglectful.

[8656toti]

@wendyrussell44 The problem with harm reduction es the priority where some countries put it, of course there are many ways to help addicts.but prioritties must be held in order of success, and harm reduction can never be the first choice for an addict.. Harm reduction condemns addicts to be second class citizens, poor unhealthy people who must pick their drugs in the hospital.. etc., and dont allow them true recovery.. menawhile they get their drugs and basic needs..

[monicalups]

This is great albeit painful to watch. I work for a European NGO and find myself battling the people promoting a "human rights" and "health/evidence based" approach, which equals harm reduction and nothing else...all the time in International settings. There is an unofrtunately huge but SILENT majority of people who are in recovery or who believe in abstinence based programs and full reintegration... Id like to hear from you richard and other positive commenters on this...pls get in touch!

[fuzzymode]

Uneducated propaganda! Harm reduction address issues like a disproportionate criminal justice system, racism, and class....to name only a few. It also reduces the spread of blood-born disease, hazardous waste, and it allows for more points of contact so that folks can participate in realistic and reachable goals in their own self-care!

[firedfox1]

This is a bad video. I know, I lived there for 8 months, I'm no addict, and just showing the effects of drug usage means nothing. So what, we know they live real bad, and affordable housing in a city that has NONE might be a start. Meanwhile, try going down there and give out some food. Also, we do need tough laws to get the dealers off the streets.

[shananagans5]

I just got my answer to your views on "harm reduction" Great vid !!! I totally agree with it.

[NakedUndone]

You're my only subscriber and it's the first time visiting your channel! Interesting. As you can tell from my videos, I lived in the lower East Side around six months. The only way I kept sane was to spend as little time there as possible by going walking in all the parks and going skiing (Cypress Mnt rules!) My last day there I decided to go for a walk, maybe revisit some of my old haunts. Then a voice in my mind said, you've seen all the light places, why not visit the dark for a change?

[angval29]

Been there, done that,got out and have stayed out and have been in recovery for 4 years now. Yes ~ Hastings Street and the drug life is a nightmare. It is emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically a nightmare on one persons life. Though we can stop if we have the willingness to do so. It is a personal choice. One that only we can make. Though if I can get clean and sober then anyone can and I was on the streets for years.....It can be done. Don't give up~u can get clean & sober and live.

[MIBAgentK]

How can anyone in their right mind call this video misguided? Giving alcoholics alcohol is not harm reduction, it’s socially irresponsible. Handing out crack pipes is worse. Four Pillars not one. Arrest the dealers not the addicts. The dealers are the one profiting from this misfortune and pushing women out of windows for drug debts.

[drugagainstwar420]

This video is garbage. If it wasn't for the prohibition of drugs the harm that you show in your video would not be happening. To lie and blame harm reduction for these harms caused by misguided drug laws is way off base. Harm reduction techniques are simply trying to keep these people alive as they endure the pain and suffering that prohibition is putting them through. Drugs alone do not cause this - drugs being used in a prohibition based society does.

[JohnnyHorton]

they must legalize drugs. then we would have harm reduction.

[sertman]

Normally I like your videos, but this one seems misguided at best. You should know as well as anyone else that drug addicts are going to use no matter whether they're using clean syringes or dirty ones. Why not keep them as safe as possible? Also, why are you showing people using in alleys and in the streets? That would seem to promote places like InSite, where people can use in a safe environment. Again, I normally like your videos but I couldn't disagree more with this one.

[richardmclaughlin007]

@sertman those alleys are right behind Insite, the supervised injection center, many people are just getting syringes inside and go outside and still use in the alleys

in vancouver the police turn a blind eye to it all

[MAKER6450]

@richardmclaughlin007 it must be a eye saw and a pain in the ass for a non addict to have to live around this shit.... so i understand.

[davidgrahamscott]

@MAKER6450 It's pretty hardcore, innit?

[MAKER6450]

@davidgrahamscott hey dave,.

how ya been mate?

[davidgrahamscott]

@MAKER6450 Fine..just fine! Making a follow-up to Detox or Die just now. Been filming in Holland and UK. Hope you're well!

[sertman]

@richardmclaughlin007 yeah but those people would be in those alleys using drugs regardless of whether insite is there or not, and whether they had a clean syringe or not. so if you remove insite, the problem still exists in exactly the same fashion, except that drug addicts are no longer necessarily getting clean syringes, which opens them up to STDs and bacterial infections. So I just don't know how harm reduction can be considered a problem, here, if removing it solves nothing.

[tpvalley]

@richardmclaughlin007

if u bust an addict and take his heroin, he will have to go and find the csh for more and so impact more on society.

If u give them heroin on prescription and supervise consumption crime drops health improves and society is happier for it, the only harm I see here is to your sensibilities; in saudi drinking on the street would be just as bad.

If they aren't harming u, leave alone.

crime dropped by about 80% in area of diamorphine trials where I live, think about that.

[MAKER6450]

@sertman i agree, free syringes is a good thing.

i was an addict for 10 years and i didnt catch anything cos i always had free syringes...i wouldnt even use the same one twice...id go through 3 or 4 aday.

and iv never shot drugs in a damn ally...thats where all the seedy shit is.

drug world is a seedy filthy hell.

[holcur]

Didn't the guy at 4:51 in the wheel chair get help? Unless that's a different guy....I remember a video you had of a man all messed up on the street and ended up in the hospital and tried to change his life around...

[holcur]

very well done, i luv ur videos. What a messed up world we live in, although I do feel for the drug victims they are suffering too, even though half of them do bad.

[SaelPalani]

Awesome vid Richard. Aww ya got gypsy in there.