Giving Addicts Drugs Is Temporary

Vancouver’s new policy involving supplying heroin addicts with a steady stream of smack is brewing up a whole new batch of controversy. Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Why give addicts what makes them addicts? But if one looks into what the issue really is, it’s not that addicts exist, it’s that their habits have repercussions on society around them. The traditional method to solving this, being rehab, is not working as well as it would be hoped to, and different methods, such as this, are being sought out. Possibly, the introduction of this system could lead to the dispersion of all things bad, namely drug-related violence and marketing.

On the other hand, this system could also leave things unchanged or altogether worse. It is true that supplying addicts with a safe source for drugs will improve some things, as they will no longer risk dirty needles and will no longer require sourcing for their next fix. These things are indisputable. However, they amount to mere pocket change when considering the colossal potential for disaster that could result in the program’s continued pursuit. In order for the program to be successful, everything would need to go smoothly with every addict signing up and attending regularly, which is impossible given human nature.

Work Cited:

• Campbell, Bradley. “Vancouver Combats Heroin by Giving Its Addicts the Best Smack in the World.” Public Radio International. PRI’s The World, 9 Feb. 2015. Web. 03 Nov. 2015.
• Woo, Andrea. “Vancouver Addicts Soon to Receive Prescription Heroin.”The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 22 Nov. 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.