Scott Anderson thinks Penticton has solutions - NOT!

[Gixxer]

Oh ya what was the name of this group?

[coffeeFreak]

Municipal governments are fairly powerless in doing much of anything other than writing new bylaws and then employing enough bylaw officers to enforce the new laws, so, in my opinion, blaming them is a waste of breath. This issue requires much more than our local governments can provide.

Doesn't anyone else notice the deafening silence of our provincial and federal elected officials on this issue, other than the dialogue of our local health and housing authorities? We, and especially the addicts need more than stats, Naloxone kits and housing. They need long-term treatment with more addiction treatment options, as well as better mental health support! Getting off of the drugs and out of the lifestyle that goes with it, needs a lot more than the band-aid treatment that is currently being provided! As it is now, getting "clean" is very challenging for most addicts, but even more difficult for those who are homeless, as it requires a lot of diligence and follow-up, which can be on short supply for active addicts. We need more detoxes that actually include a direct path to a treatment facility and then followed up with recovery homes, not more naloxone kits and low barrier housing projects!!

But then again, the current services being provided are a huge make-work industry that provides a lot of jobs and pumps a lot of money into local economies...so maybe the province and the feds are on to something.

[Hassel99]

There once was a group of people in the 1940's that chose to do this type of thing....you know, grab a bunch of people against their will, send them to the middle of nowhere, put them in camps and force them to work....how exactly did that turn out?

I remember them, it was the Canadian government !

I assume your talking about the Japanese interment camps in the okanagan.

[bob vernon]

Whether he meant the Japanese internment camps in WWII in Canada or the German/Austrian/Hungarian ones in WWI. Or the German concentration camps in WWII, or the Trump childrens' camps now, they are all wrong. And rounding up drug addicts on the street without due process and herding them into concentration camps is wrong, too. That just moves us one step nearer to rounding up any group based on arbitrary grounds. And moves us back towards the Dark Ages.

[Gixxer]

So your fine with drug addicts running rampant around town breaking the law?

Why are these people allowed to openly do drugs in public, and wander around wacked out of their mind with little to no consequences?

Why is it that if I walked around with open alcohol and intoxicated I could be charged and fined or ended up in the drunk tank?

[bob vernon]

Of course I'm not okay with it. But the problems of our society losing it's way and it's Christian values of caring for one another have allowed the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer to the point where some on the bottom are living outdoors and killing their pain with addictive drugs.

Kicking the addicts will do nothing. Stopping, completely stopping, the importation and manufacture of these drugs is the only way to change things. But we have no will to do this. Until the focus changes to the wealthy dealers and BIGPharma who make the drugs available, this will go on and on. Raging at the addicts only takes the attention away from the real criminals and allows them to continue to ruin the lives of addicts, and get rich while doing it.

If we think the addicts are the problem, we're gettin' played.

[Gixxer]

Bahahahaha oh please. This has nothing to do with religion or the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.



Why aren't the church housing the homeless?

[tabubil]

Of course I'm not okay with it. But the problems of our society losing it's way and it's Christian values of caring for one another have allowed the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer to the point where some on the bottom are living outdoors and killing their pain with addictive drugs.

Kicking the addicts will do nothing. Stopping, completely stopping, the importation and manufacture of these drugs is the only way to change things. But we have no will to do this. Until the focus changes to the wealthy dealers and BIGPharma who make the drugs available, this will go on and on. Raging at the addicts only takes the attention away from the real criminals and allows them to continue to ruin the lives of addicts, and get rich while doing it.

If we think the addicts are the problem, we're gettin' played.

Bob I do agree with you last thought the addicts are not the problem but a result of people with power praying on the weak.
But now lets stop there your other idea of stopping the important has many costly ramifications. First every ship, container, box and envelope will have to manual inspected. Then there is the airports every person, bag and container will have to manually inspected or xrayed. Then the same happens for all the postal parcels coming into the country and moving around the country, and everyone crossing the border the same thing.
Do you realize how much this will cost us the poor taxpayers and it will still not stop the manufacture, because any person who is good in chemistry and going to college can make the stuff in a garage or basement for just about nothing and then sell it and make a forturn.
Yes we have to do something compulsory recovery is a must and for those that manufacture, or sell this no long drawn out court battle with a slap on the wrist, start a big house up in the NWT and send them all up there and let them fend for themselves and for mean guards dogs and for good measure a few wild coyotes.
It seems harsh but I think it is time to be hard on all concerned, do not forget those that use are the ones that put the needle in or took the drugs the first time and from then on.

[bob vernon]

Of course we can't inspect every container on every ship. But we can find enough of them that we will catch some of the dealers. And the price the dealers must pay for importing these drugs must be the maximum. The death penalty. And those kids with chemistry sets who will manufacture drugs? Death penalty also.

If you supply these drugs or make them you're destroying lives. So the death penalty is warranted.
We keep seeing low level drug deals on the street. They are just the local rep. We rarely see a major dealer get arrested. Unless we get serious with the big dealers and eliminate them, expect the current mess on the streets to continue. And get worse.

[JagXKR]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... es-subside

While the bylaw has by no means solved Penticton’s challenges associated with the homelessness crisis, merchants say things have improved in the neighbourhood.

“We’ve had a lot of calls, emails, people dropping in saying ‘Whatever has happened has made some real significant changes and we are very happy,'’’ said Lynn Allin, Downtown Penticton Association executive director.

“The overall feeling is that the bylaw did make some positive changes and the businesses are feeling the positive end of that.”

[tabubil]

I would like to see all the free kits given out stopped.. It is time to start them on hard facts you use, you get caught jail or mandatory recovery (cold turkey). All the bleeding hearts get ready yes let a few die that may save many more than ODS assistance.
I have lost many friends to drugs, I have also assisted several to quit them also, I have also seen what it does to family
I too have addictions and have beaten them
Do not forget that the addict is the one who put the drugs in their body and continues to do so
You can try and stop the suppliers but then it goes underground and the 2 nd year chemistry people from universities will start producing it and the quality will even get worse.
But here is a possible solution dealers, suppliers and those who give them a place to work from if caught have all their assets taken away and given to the courts and they not the government use this money to build affordable housing and give those that want training the training they need to get their life back together.
If you are caught automatic free trip to the NWT work camp, and the addicts automatic recovery no questions asked.
Yes it is looking like a directorship but maybe for this large of a problem in Canada this might be the only solution until others are found or the problem gets better.
Have fun with this thought

[bob vernon]

We had a decade of a very conservative prime minister promising to do something along these lines. But what did Harper do? Pretty much zero. He talked about minimum sentences and really cracking down and then never even introduced a thing in the House. removed

Until we have a party leader who actually delivers on his promises, expect the carnage on the streets to continue.