Pubdate: Mon, 06 Apr 2009
Source: Voice, The (CN BC Edu)
Copyright: 2009 Langara College
Contact:  http://www.langara.bc.ca/voice/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3592
Author: Shaylee Perez
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

ABBOTSFORD'S MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS RESOURCES SADLY LACKING

The Advanced Issues 2410 class uncovered a major problem in 
Abbotsford during a project studying harm reduction. The problem they 
discovered is a by-law in Abbotsford that effectively bans any sort 
of harm reduction programs for drug addiction.

On April 1st, class members Stevie Pearson, Mel Cabral, Tanya 
Friesen, Forrest Rosenthal and Nadia Moshtaginejad, along with some 
citizens of Abbotsford, presented their findings about the by-law 
with a special question and answer period where attendees could speak 
to the citizens about their personal experiences and thoughts.

Harm reduction is generally known as a compassionate minimization of 
the consequences associated with mental illness and drug abuse. It 
can be seen in programs such as Insite, which promotes safety for 
both users and citizens as it provides an alternative to shooting up 
on the street, with used needles that can transfer disease, and out 
of the plain view of children and other citizens.

While Abbotsford has the same problems seen in Vancouver, such as 
many people suffering from addiction to drugs and mentally illness, 
the same programs are not available to help them. The zoning by-law 
in question prohibits any needle exchanges, mobile exchanges and safe 
injection sites.

The fact is that the people who need help the most are stuck in 
between those laws which prevent effective help, those which solely 
purport abstinence and people like Barry Shantz, who does everything 
he can to set up support systems in his community.

The students encountered Shantz during their field research and he 
gave them a tour of downtown Abbotsford where needles are visibly 
evident on the street. He also took them to the place he calls "top 
of the line," the Women's Resource Society of the Fraser Valley's 
"Warm Zone" where women are able to access showers, laundry 
facilities and information about other help available to them, while 
he shared with them his personal experiences in using harm reduction 
techniques.

As of now, Shantz runs an unofficial needle exchange, using the few 
people he trusts to help him distribute clean needles to the 
community, and pick up the used ones.

"Only an ignorant person would see harm reduction as a bad thing. 
Nobody is doing anything about the unnecessary human suffering 
happening before my very eyes," said Shantz, who encountered these 
problems firsthand at the downtown Abbotsford building he manages, 
having to constantly clear the doorways of the homeless and drug-addicted.

Barry then became interested in the problem and educated himself by 
reaching out to Vancouver institutions actively involved in helping 
combat the drug addiction, attending their meetings, then becoming 
acquainted with the what harm reduction is and what it consists of, 
where he learned of Insite.

One of the biggest obstacles in Abbotsford are those as seen in the 
highly vocal NIMBY group, an acronym for "Not In My Back Yard;" 
advocates of abstinence and nothing in the way of treatment or 
services. "Mental health and drugs are not class-orientated problems, 
they can happen to anyone, and when it does happen, they fall to the 
lowest priority," said Shantz. "I want to address, expose and make 
effective the very people who are getting paid to help and who are not."

He shared the case of Leah, a 25 year old he took in this winter 
after regularly finding her on his doorstep. Leah is mentally 
disabled and crack addicted. When he found her, her disability was 
unrecognized and she was not on government assistance. After many 
attempts to receive help from the available resources, Barry was 
finally able to set up a program that he hopes will protect her for 
the rest of her life. Leah is now on welfare, but before she may 
receive her assistance cheque, she must take her medication.

Barry underwent many obstacles in the system while trying to set her 
up with resources from the community. In one case, Leah was unable to 
receive mental health services because she had declined the 
assistance in the past.

"People in the public don't know enough. The level of ignorance in 
Abbotsford is high, and religious passion doesn't do the trick. To 
help, people need to have specialized training of which Vancouver has 
an abundance of, and Abbotsford is short on," explained Shantz.

On Monday April 6th, Mental Health and Addictions will meet to 
discuss an upcoming public forum on this matter. As of now, the date 
is set for May 4th, where they will present these issues to city hall 
and to the public.