Pubdate: Tue, 31 Oct 2017 Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB) Copyright: 2017 The Edmonton Journal Website: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134 Author: Petra Schulz Page: A7 MP MISSES POINT OF SAFE INJECTION SITES Re. "MP hosts impassioned debate over supervised injection sites in southwest," Oct. 30 The title should have been "MP misses the point." Supervised consumption services (SCS) primarily save lives, and anyone who has lost a loved one can tell you how important that is. Our son Danny died from an overdose in 2014. He was only 25, was a promising young chef and is dearly missed. There are many families like ours who are members in our group Moms Stop The Harm, who live in MP Matt Jeneroux's riding of Edmonton-Riverbend. I encourage him to meet them. Supervised consumption services don't "condone" drugs; they increase the numbers who access treatment. They reduce emergency room use and disease. I agree SCS are not the solution for Riverbend at this point. SCS are not a one-size-fits-all. The many victims who use and die home alone in suburban communities require a different approach. We need to reduce stigma, provide good drug safety information and bring harm reduction, including needle exchanges, Naloxone distribution and opioid dependency treatment, closer to them in primary care. How we can make this happen should have been the topic of discussion. Petra Schulz, Co-founder Moms Stop The Harm, Edmonton - --- MAP posted-by: Matt