Penticton nurse distressed by continuing illicit drug use in hospital with lacking safety policy

[Castanet News]

A Penticton Regional Hospital nurse is exhausted by what they describe as continued use of illegal substances in the hospital — and a lack of action to stop...

[jfrankbc]

The drug dealers and users have won out against all law abiding residents who just want to live, work, and play in a normal and safe society, due to incompetent government and impotent law enforcement.

[the truth]

pretty clear the pencil pushers at IH do not care about their staff or patients

[V0H1Z5]

Public hospitals are not the facilities that these people should be treated in. Nurses, and all other staff and visitors deserve and have a right to be safe. Prevention starts with incarceration of current users and dealers until they have their problem under control. Guarding borders and imposing tariffs is an odd attempt to control or fix the issue, and it will cost everyone a lot more than prisons and mental health facilities. Said places are the safest solution for everyone involved. Fentanyl and other drugs have killed and wounded far more people in the last few years, including innocent people, than firearms ever have, outside of war (citation needed). Where is the passion of the gun control people in stopping this killer of mankind? Where is the passion of MADD in stopping this killer of mankind? etc., etc. All of whom justifiably support the incarceration of offenders, and even go further in supporting ban's for responsible users of guns, alcohol, etc. Until fentanyl gets the same kind of attention and demands from concerned citizens it will be a major problem.

[tropicalparadise]

And you wonder why you can’t get enough nurses to work at a hospital

[dmschmidt]

What a joke. What a messed up society we live in where this type of thing can happen, and no one that is in the position to do anything about it will do anything about it.
You can only push people so far before they push back.

How about this: Someone gets caught using illicit drugs in a hospital, they are forcibly removed.
They come back again, they are charged with trespassing and taken to jail.

Problem solved.

Oh, wait...the drug addicts have more rights than anyone else, so I guess that won't work.
Drat.

[jazminsimpson]

I bet if ya walked in and lit up a cigarette the cops would be there escorting you off the property and giving you a fine. When did our world get so turned upside down?? This is insane to put these workers and patients at risk! Seniors and little bitty newborn babies are being exposed to this garbage. Who cares if they have no where to smoke their drugs! That is not the problem of the tax payers who are already paying for all these government funded programs to help them get clean, buy more drugs, pay their rent & bills.... It is a sad sad state we are in.... For such a small community it shocks me how out of control this problem is!

[Phoenix2971]

Sad that we have put the rights of drug addicts above others. The nurses & patients deserve safety in the hospitals - if that means not treating an active drug user - so be it. It’s not just happening in Penticton - it’s rampant everywhere (except the hospitals they close…..). Le’s ge back to a couple of things we were raised with: 1). Right is right & wrong is wrong. 2). Let’s help those who help themselves. 3). The majority rules. Enough of the minority screaming the loudest - let’s get back to common sense!

[rapid9401]

Wonder what might happen if you came in and sat down with a bottle of whisky ?

[XT225]

Wonder what might happen if you came in and sat down with a bottle of whisky ?

Likely NOTHING would happen. There are no signage stating "No alcohol allowed"; yet there ARE signs everywhere about "No Smoking on I.H. Property", yet that goes unchecked. Many people at the main entrances, including patients are lighting up; right in front of the signs and nobody (including Security) does anything about it. I HATE walking in to the hospital thru a cloud of smoke, yet it happens all the time. If I.H. is going to look the other way (to their own rules) then make a smoking section out back where nobody sees it or is bothered by it.

[swoop975]

If she's distressed by it, then clearly, she's a part of the problem.....

....or something, something, Trump....

[guitarguru]

If she's distressed by it, then clearly, she's a part of the problem.....

....or something, something, Trump....

How is an attack on her (she's part of the problem?) anything to do with the article? And as usual TDS in full swing, I did not see anywhere Trump being mentioned.

[Artie37]

Simple solution. Make drugs illegal again and throw them in jail. I am sick of all the vagrancy and drug use everywhere. Time for our government to snap out of this BS they have put us in

[swoop975]

How is an attack on her (she's part of the problem?) anything to do with the article? And as usual TDS in full swing, I did not see anywhere Trump being mentioned.

No sarcasm font here.

I did not intend to disparage her, but given the enabling that tends to go on in this province, (sarcastically) blaming her for being distressed seemed appropriate.....

.....given I couldn't actually get away with saying what I wanted to.....

[TamiWhitney]

In my opinion, there needs to be more rehab facilities available to the addicts. The rehab facilities should have detox built in to the program. No waiting lists and then maybe rehab will be available.....

I am a mother of an addict and I feel the choice should be taken away, so we can help these people. There is nothing worse than watching your loved one hurt themselves, others, or to witness them going down this dangerous path.

If we had places to help the addicts to get the help they need, the ever growing numbers of addicts on the streets would decrease. They are a danger to themselves, to the public, and their loved ones. Take away the choice and keep putting them back to rehab-as many times as it takes! This would clean up the streets and save so many people.

These addicts are someone's mom, dad, sister, son ,daughter, and society as well as their loved ones, shouldn't have to witness them harming themselves or others. The drug changes these people and turns them into someone they are not. They become desperate for their next fix and desperation changes a person and makes them do things they normally would never do. The drug also creates mental health issues. Some of these addicts are living in a delusion. They are living on the streets in survival mode and that is dangerous for everyone.

This issue is serious, is out of control, and its time for action.