Haydain Neale, 1970–2009
The Making of a Medley
Transit City and Transit Cities
The Daily Photoist: November 23, 2009
Torontoist usually ignores the knee jerk ravings of Rosie DiManno but felt that today's column on the city's decision to further explore the idea of a safe injection site crossed several lines and was just plain asinine.
"So let me get this straight: I can't smoke cigarettes in Toronto but I can smoke crack?," DiManno starts and from there she proceeds to make "presumptive" arguments that are radically insensitive and plain out of touch.
She equates the city's crackdown on smoking and senses hypocrisy on their softness on the crack problem that plagues certain neighbourhoods in the city. What she forgets is that one of the main reasons smoking indoors has been made difficult is second-hand smoke. Anyone that's worked in a busy bar or restaurant in the pre-smoking days can tell you just how much smoke they were breathin in. Smokers aren't "pariahs" (her words, not mine) Rosie we just want to make sure they don't slowly poison the rest of us.
Then there's this doozy of a statement; "The report's authors do acknowledge that supervised consumption sites — a 50-cent euphemism for what most of us would call a crack house — would provoke tremendous controversy, as indeed the matter did, does, within the committee's own membership." I'm not sure how DiManno would know what the inside of a crack house looks like but unless half of them have nicely lit cubicles, provide counselling and trained medical professionals like this one in Vancouver the comment just sparks of fear mongering and NIMBYism.
The there's the issue of the stigma of drug use. Torontoist hopes that of all people in the city the Toronto Drug Strategy Advisory Committee are the ones with the most progressive, open minded and tolerant view of drug use. Lord knows that large segments of the public would rather see drug users put in prison, carted off somewhere else, basically ignored and out of sight. There's plenty of stigma there already we don't need the City's institutions and those who are supposed to be finding solutions to the drug problem adding to it.
If DiManno wants to smoke crack she can, what she'll soon find out is that there are few resources to help you get clean. Sadly, you can't buy crack in chewing gum form (Crackerette?) or patches over the counter at Shoppers. Equating crack and cigarettes just isn't fair, isn't accurate and muddies an already difficult and painful issue.
Torontoist also wants to point out that the Toronto Public Space Committee is holding a fundraising screening of Fix, a film about Canada's only safe injection site in Vancouver. Hardhitting and timely considering the recent news in Toronto. Tuesday, 7pm, Bloor Cinema.
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There were many public health issues that lead the city of Vancouver to open a safe injection site. A safe crack-smoking site in Toronto, however, would not address any of these issues. First, crack smokers can share their pipes all they want, but no one will be getting Hep C or HIV from doing so. Second, crack smokers do not need a nurse on hand to ensure that they are hitting the pipe correctly. Third, safe sites are not rehabilitation centres, nor are the people who work there preaching to their clients how bad drugs are; if they did that, no addict would go.
Essentially, a safe crack-smoking site would provide no public service beyond giving crack addicts a nice and warm place to smoke. And as a cigarette smoker, I resent that since I too would like a nice and warm place to smoke. Surely, though, there are much more important things on the agenda besides providing drug addicts a place to smoke-- what about a place to sleep, for instance?
Nadine while I agree with most of your post (but Rosie DiManno you have NO excuses. Maybe you should you actually check your facts) One can EASILY get Hep-C by smoking Crack. You see when you smoke crack your lips will dry up and chap and eventually crack (if you will). By sharing a the pipe (which goes hand in hand with smoking rock) you are at high risk of spreading Hep C via the open cracks in your lips. Think my bloody lips touching on a pipe passed to you, whose lips are equally bloody. mmmm....charming thought I know.
IMO Toronto can spend better their money elsewhere helping addicts. The recent shutting of all but 2 detox's is a very disturbing fact. That, coupled with the "new look" CMHA will put more addicts at risk. A smoking house is not a smart option...but Rosie please continue to look at things through your short sighted glasses. It makes my mornings fun.
Safe injection sites are probably not an ideal solution to the cities crack problem, as they are basically a reactionary measure. That said, if you have crack addicts, you can either choose to ignore them, or do something proactive to deal with them.
Also, DiMano always says stupid stuff. The trick is to tune her out as best you can, though I realise that can be hard. I wrote about her comments during the Bollywood Cowboy controversy, and you can see the same sort of half-assed arguments from her back then that you do in the piece you linked to. I don't see how the Star can keep her on. She adds nothing to the paper, and seems a better fit for a paper like the National Post.
Ramanan, nice link on the Bollywood Cowboy controversy.
I think the Star keeps her on for shock value, a la Rebecca Eckler at the Post.
I largely agree with everyone, safe injection sites aren't a perfect solution for Toronto. This city doesn't have a centralized drug problem like Vancouver. We don't even have a problem with the same drug.
But like mm said, the lack of detox sites is disturbing. While safe injection sites aren't usually used for detox they can be used for other things like distributing clean pipes, needles, condoms, etc.
They can also be used as a place where crack addicts can get basic health services, and more importantly a place where maybe they can find information and take their first steps towards getting off crack.
as a volunteer for the TRIP! project run out of the queen west health centre, i have seen the front-line need for this kind of progressive program. right now we are doing everything we can to keep marginalized populations in toronto healthy, but centres like ours are routinely being denied funding. we recently lost our trillium grant.
toronto public health taking over this initiative is the only way to continue providing these essential services.
Kevin this is exactly it. Funding is being denied yet the media and general population blame those who need the services most. How often do you hear "These people should be able to do it themselves." ? More funding AND more diverse programs are needed not less funding and less services.
Toronto already has cozy crack dens. One of the best is called the Blue Sea Restaurant at Queen and Mutual. You can score it, smoke it and hang with the toothless hos, cycling pimps and super creeps all day long. Enjoy.