Pubdate: Thu, 24 Nov 2005
Source: Westender (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 WestEnder
Contact:  http://www.westender.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1243
Author: L. Morley

AN ADDICTIVE IDEA

As the mother of an addicted son who is "somewhere" in the bowels of 
Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, I am encouraged by compassionate ideas 
such as the one in the article ["Dunbar gets the treatment," 
Observer, Nov. 10-16 issue].I agree that treatment centres would have 
more chance of success if they were not located in the heart of the 
problem itself.In fact, at one point my son even made this very comment.

Let's face it.People with means ften go to rehab centres which are 
more like four-or five-star spas - and usually located in some rural 
Utopia. Why can we not at least share some of the goods with the 
downtrodden and marginalized human beings whose lives and 
environments are a living hell?One thing those folks in Dunbar need 
to remember is that some of the "addicts" once lived in 
neighbourhoods very much like their own before the disease of 
addiction took hold.

There but for the grace of God ....

L. Morley
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman