Targeted shootings have declined, overdose death rates are down, but organized crime is as strong as ever, and public understanding of addiction and treatment is low
It’s been a good year to be a subscriber. Your readers have learned a lot about this very important social and medical problem. I, for one ,am very grateful to you. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025
Geoff, I admire the work you are doing on this topic. I think about addiction and addiction policy a lot. When I was 18 and that was 1971. I was shooting up meth almost daily for a couple months. I walked away and never did it again. But that wasn't the only thing I walked away from that day. I walked away from a job. I was on the streets and was hired to work at youth centre in downtown Brantford as part of program run an earlier version of the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence.
Alcohol was a harder addiction to deal with for me. It took many attempts at controlled drinking and abstinence. Then a counsellor that I hired to help people in the industry I was involved in sent me to AA and an AA treatment facility. Haven't drank since, but did go 4-5 meetings a week for 4.5 years.
AA is not regulated other than by the many thousands who are involved. Doesn't work for every one, lots of relapses and there can be bad shit that happens like anywhere else. Although everyone involved has skin in the game which leads to a reasonable level of regulation, though the counselors' union might disapprove.
For me I believe the biggest determinant of my addictions was genetics, Father and both grandfathers. Abstinence was necessary for me and I think for most. Abstinence makes dealing all the other issues one faces much easier. So I believe, however we get there expanding programs that promote abstinence has to be one of the priorities. I am not opposed regulators but hey regulator aren't everything, especially in a nonclinical, university type setting like the street.
Well said, but I think when service providers start taking money, either in government funding or in a private contract to provide "treatment," however that's described, some consumer rights come into play. I see AA as a pretty transparent process, with no upfront fee and a very strong, free and lifelong support system, if needed. That's a far cry from the examples found by the Star. Thanks for writing. Geoff
It’s been a good year to be a subscriber. Your readers have learned a lot about this very important social and medical problem. I, for one ,am very grateful to you. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025
Many thanks, Michael, and best wishes to you and yours.
Geoff, I admire the work you are doing on this topic. I think about addiction and addiction policy a lot. When I was 18 and that was 1971. I was shooting up meth almost daily for a couple months. I walked away and never did it again. But that wasn't the only thing I walked away from that day. I walked away from a job. I was on the streets and was hired to work at youth centre in downtown Brantford as part of program run an earlier version of the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence.
Alcohol was a harder addiction to deal with for me. It took many attempts at controlled drinking and abstinence. Then a counsellor that I hired to help people in the industry I was involved in sent me to AA and an AA treatment facility. Haven't drank since, but did go 4-5 meetings a week for 4.5 years.
AA is not regulated other than by the many thousands who are involved. Doesn't work for every one, lots of relapses and there can be bad shit that happens like anywhere else. Although everyone involved has skin in the game which leads to a reasonable level of regulation, though the counselors' union might disapprove.
For me I believe the biggest determinant of my addictions was genetics, Father and both grandfathers. Abstinence was necessary for me and I think for most. Abstinence makes dealing all the other issues one faces much easier. So I believe, however we get there expanding programs that promote abstinence has to be one of the priorities. I am not opposed regulators but hey regulator aren't everything, especially in a nonclinical, university type setting like the street.
Well said, but I think when service providers start taking money, either in government funding or in a private contract to provide "treatment," however that's described, some consumer rights come into play. I see AA as a pretty transparent process, with no upfront fee and a very strong, free and lifelong support system, if needed. That's a far cry from the examples found by the Star. Thanks for writing. Geoff