Total Hype Newsletter - 2010 May

totalHYPE
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program
MAY 2010
artwork by Angie
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
955 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON
M4M 3P3
1
p: 416-461-1925 ext. 232
2
What’s Inside
Cover
1
What’s Inside
3
About TotalHYPE
4
Maximum Harm
5-8
I never had a problem before . .
5
The Cost of Doing Nothing while our friends our
dying
9 - 10
Liv’in Dead
11
“dirty” “addicts” and “abusers”
12 - 13
Lovers
14
I don’t care . . .
14
Realities of Living on Social Assistance
15 - 16
A Letter to Delton . . .
16
If I had a hundred dollars . . .
16
Earth Day & COUNTERfit Community Clean Up
17
What is Worse
17
Giselle, we’ll miss you . . .
18
How Will You Go
18
JAIL it is . . .
18
Can Video Cameras Make Us Safer?
19
Community Stuff to Check Out
20
Toronto Drug User Union Information
21
May Calendar
22
Nothing About Us Without Us, TDUU
27
Contributors:
Lorie, Chris Fitzgerald, Anita C., Stevie P., Andrew Dopwell, Angie Cassidy, Debbie M.,
Candis Beckford, Robert M., Raffi Balian, Molly Bannerman, Susan Bender, Sang Won
Kim, Kate Kenny.
Editors & Assistant Editor:
Molly Bannerman, Raffi Balian, Lynne Giroux3
ABOUT. . .
totalHYPE
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program’s Newsletter
TotalHYPE is a monthly newsletter put together
by COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program. TotalHYPE is dedicated to sharing harm reduction
information in a respectful way. All contributions
relating to drug use must be harm reduction-based. There are many publications of non-harm
reduction / abstinence based perspectives but few
actually reflect the principles of harm reduction. What is Harm Reduction?
Harm Reduction, as we define it at COUNTERfit,
is reducing harms associated with drug use at an
individual level, a community level, and a political
level. This may include, for example, the
distribution of safer drug use paraphernalia, efforts
to prevent the spread of infection and disease
through education, ensuring our neighbourhood is
clear of “sharps” and challenging social
structures that make the lives of drug users worse. For example, looking at ways that Canadian drug
laws criminalize drug users, and how many social
systems are not accessible to drug users because of
rigid, stigmatizing policies. At COUNTERfit, it is
important that harm reduction encompass all of
these dynamics.
Who Contributes to TotalHYPE?
Anyone can contribute to TotalHYPE, as long as
the submission is respectful of harm reduction
principles. Contributions are made by our service
users, staff, volunteers and people who are
incarcerated. We especially encourage drug users
to contribute to TotalHYPE. And really, most of
the contributions are by drug users.
How to Contribute to TotalHYPE?
To make a contribution to TotalHYPE, you have a
few options:
1.
2.
1.
drop it off at COUNTERfit Harm
Reduction Program (address below)
mail it to Molly Bannerman at
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program
(address below) OR
email it to Molly Bannerman
([email protected])
When making a contribution, please note how you
want to be recognized in TotalHYPE. You can
use your full name, part of your name, a “pen”
name, or submit something anonymously. Please
also be sure to include references for anything
you’ve taken from other sources.
Due Dates:
All submissions should be made at least 1 week
before the end of the month. Receiving a Copy of TotalHYPE
We print more than 100 copies of TotalHYPE per
month and give them out through our onsite Drop
In and Mobile Service. We also mail copies to
incarcerated people who have requested copies. If
you have access to the internet - you can check
TotalHYPE out online at www.srchc.ca, under
“About Us” then “Archived Documents”. For more information about TotalHYPE, talk to:
Molly Bannerman
416-461-1925 ext. 232
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
955 Queen Street
East
4
Toronto, ON M4M 3P3
Maximum Harm
by raffi balian
Too many people using illicit drugs have died
as alcohol and Valium.
during the last few months. While some of these
deaths were health-related, still too many died
Using a combination of depressants is a major
from overdose. We work in the field of harm
cause of overdose. Indeed over 80% of opiate
reduction where our concern
overdose has to do with mixing
is to minimize the harms that
opiates with alcohol or Valium or
I
never
had
a
problem
before.
drug users face: harms from
other kinds of benzos. In
The longer I use
prohibition and harms from
London, 1 in 3 heroin injectors
“responsibly”,
the
more
the
drugs themselves. We can't
has experienced overdose
fog clears, And I begin to
fathom a greater harm than
related to mixing drugs
remember
all
the
pain
that
I
dying from overdose: Death
(Preventing Overdose, Neil Hunt
have caused. To all those
from drug related overdose is
et al, June 2004).
who’ve
loved
me.
If
I
listen
the ultimate harm we can
to the philosophers words,
imagine; as such, whenever
Fentanyl has recently emerged
that what seeds ye sow, ye
someone in our community
as another important player in the
must reap, then I’ve been
fatally overdoses, we feel a
overdose arena. During my initial
sense of failure and despair.
given many gifts, and they are
stage of Fentanyl use, I
not meant for me to keep.
overdosed at least six times,
Having talked to many
probably more. I am a fairly
For I’ve sown seeds of hurt
cocaine users, I’ve realized
experienced drug user, have
and I must reap the tears.
that they believe overdose is
been using opiates for over 17
I’ve sown seeds of anger so
for opiate users in general
years, work in the harm reduction
I face vengeful years. I’ve
and heroin injectors in
field, and I still overdosed.
caused loved ones loneliness,
particular. While it is true
thus I must walk alone, and
that most of the overdose we
It is fairly easy to overdose on
I’ve taken from others what
hear about is for heroin, in
Fentanyl because its high is quite
is not mine. So what is given
Toronto, many cocaine users
misleading: It’s so mild, the user
to me, I’ll never own. This is
also die of one form of
can’t feel it, although someone
neither self-pity or sorrow
overdose or another.
else may notice that the user’s
of which I write, simply I
eyes are barely open.
see as others don’t. If
everyone accepted their loss
Opiate-related Overdose:
I have a friend who, after
in life, there’d be no addiction,
shooting a significant amount of
no murder, no war.
Most opiate-related
Fentanyl, always complains: “I
There would be self-loathing
overdoses are closed-cutdidn’t feel anything”, or “I didn’t
no more. And since this
cases. A person uses strong
get anything from that shot”.
would culminate from our
heroin or too many Oxys,
Then she asks me to shoot her
wrongs against our fellow
their ability to breath is
up again. I refuse, but can’t stop
man
years
before.
Ironically
compromised and the person
her from shooting herself up.
we would evolve into a world
may die. In England heroin
Inevitably she overdoses and I
of
love,
nothing
more.
I
injectors are 14 times more
have to do First Aid to bring her
know this sounds like Utopian
likely to die of overdose than
back. Recently this scenario
glory
&
really
it’s
sum
is
no
people who used other drugs
happened three times in one day
less. But it’s important for
(Preventing Overdose, Neil
even though my friend is an
us
to
remember
that
our
core
Hunt et al, June 2004). But
experienced injection drug user.
is just plain goodness.
most of these people are also
Unfortunately she’s a pig when it
using other depressants such
comes to opiates and
5
Lorie
Maximum Harm
continued . . .
consistently puts herself at risk. Yet she has
managed to stay alive because, as much as she
likes to go over the edge, she uses massive
amounts of opiates only when I’m with her. She’s
smart that way. She seldom uses alone; but if she
has to, she moderates her shots.
the other drugs, or the combination of all the
drugs. To compound matters, a lot of cocaine
deaths have to do with some kind of heart failure.
And people, especially middle-aged men, have
heart failure all the time. Who’s to say whether a
death had to do with overdose or heart failure?
This reminds me to deliver this message to novice
Fentanyl users: NEVER USE ALONE. Have a
friend nearby, and tell her/him what to do in case
you overdose. Also, do a very small shot and wait
a while before you do another shot. The Fentanyl
high is an elusive high and you may be overdosing
before you even feel you’re high enough. One of
the reasons Fentanyl is so dangerous is it’s
potency. The Wikipedia online encyclopedia
asserts that Fentanyl is one-hundred times more
potent than the equivalent amount of morphine
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fentanyl). Also,
Fentanyl patches are programmed for timerelease. When you boil these patches, you
destroy their time-release properties. And when
you inject the compound, you get a whack of
Fentanyl, overwhelming your system.
I’ve been thinking about cocaine withdrawal for a
while and have come to believe that there are two
major types of cocaine overdose:
The last thing I’d like to mention about opiate
overdose is the following: people who’ve been on
Methadone for a while do not easily overdose. In
the same study in London, researchers discovered
that injection heroin users who were not on
methadone were four times more likely to
overdose (Preventing Overdose, Neil Hunt et al,
June 2004).
Cocaine-Related Overdose:
I suspect the reason we don’t hear about too
many cocaine related deaths is because
emergency departments don’t know how to
classify these deaths. Cocaine users have a
knack of using other drugs as well. Coming
down off cocaine is harsh and people take all
kinds of drugs to cushion their crash. So when
they’re taken to hospital, workers are unable to
determine whether the death was from cocaine,
1.
Acute Cocaine Overdose (ACO): or
overdose caused by ingesting a huge
amount of cocaine in a short period of time
or through a single use (smoking or
especially injecting)
1.
Cumulative Cocaine Overdose (CCO): or
overdose caused by a cocaine run. In
other words, when a person uses cocaine
for, say, two days in a row non-stop, the
person overdoses.
Most cocaine users have seen acute cocaine
overdose a number of times. When you or a
friend of yours is ‘doing the chicken’, you are
going through ACO. Here is what Dr. Susan
Woolhouse - one of our physicians at South
Riverdale Community Health Centre – wrote about
these movements:
Cocaine use is associated with a variety of movement
disorders. One of the more common movement
(muscle/nerve) disorders is called “choreoathetosis”. These are rapid, unpredictable body movements that
spread from one body part to another and are often
associated with twisting motions (“crack dance” or
“chicken”). Crack and cocaine users sometimes can
get movements of muscles surrounding their mouths
and tongues. These muscle problems usually don’t last long. If they
don’t go away, you should see your doctor. People
who take anti-psychotic medication (pills for
schizophrenia or bipolar such as risperidone or
6 olanzapine) are at greater risk of getting cocaine-
Maximum Harm
continued . . .
related movement disorders (An Email from Dr.
Susan Woolhouse, April 22, 2010). police try to subdue people going through CCO.
According to North American police, these
individuals suddenly acquire inordinate amount of
power, necessitating the use of brute force. As the
American Medical Association has pointed out,
there is no evidence that Excited Delirium exists.
But that is another topic and we’ll pick it up
another time. In the meantime, if you suspect
your friends are showing the symptoms I
described, talk to them calmly, always assuring
them that as long as they remains cool, you're not
going to do anything that they don't want you to
do. Let them know you're on their side and that
you understand why they feel the way they do,
and that with some rest, they will feel fine again.
Sometimes knowing that you can sleep the
symptoms off is sufficient motivator to calm down.
When a friend is doing the chicken, the best thing
to do is place a pillow under her/his head, remove
any objects in the vicinity that may hurt her/him,
and make sure people are not crowding her/him.
You should also dim the lights; if there is music or
TV, turn it off, and speak slowly and assuredly with
the person once they become conscious. (Please
read Molly’s article to find out what else you could
do when you find a friend is in distress).
Cumulative Cocaine Overdose (CCO) can lead to
disorientation, incessant and excessive
perspiration caused by overheating, dehydration,
paranoia and agitation. If cocaine users are not
rehydrated (given water or fluids) and don’t give
their heart a break, they will have a heart attack
and possibly die. More often than not, people
undergoing CCO are likely to take off
their shirt or other clothing, go
outside and start haranguing other
people because of paranoia and
agitation. Police are often called,
reinforcing these folks’ paranoia.
Inevitably, police officers end up
using physical force to restrain these
individuals, putting more stressors
on their heart and preventing them
from breathing properly. When
restrained by police, these poor
individuals frantically struggle for air
in a state of panic, causing a need
for even more oxygen for their heart
and other muscles. The result increased strain on their heart. The
police are then dumbfounded when
they find these users dead under
four or five huge officers.
Police have mistakenly termed this
struggle as Excited Delirium – a
“syndrome” that seems to occur only
in North America, and only when
Getting back to overdose in our community, every
single OD death is preventable, and therefore
more painful to accept. When three or more of our
service users die in a matter of
weeks, we as a community are
devastated. But pain is not
necessarily bad. Sometimes we
need pain to remind us how brittle
life can be and accordingly make
important changes. We can do so
much to prevent overdose – not only
among ourselves, but also among
our friends and acquaintances. Here
are a few simple reminders and
strategies to prevent overdose:
1.If you haven’t used for a while, you
are vulnerable to overdose. Use
with caution.
2.If you just got out of jail, you are
vulnerable to overdose. Use with
caution.
7
3.Try to buy your drug from the same
dealer. Ask your dealer if the drug
you’re buying is from a new batch.
Dealers usually warn their clients
when they come across new and potent
Maximum Harm
continued . . .
stuff because they don’t want any heat
associated with overdose. However,
because drug dealing is usually done so
quickly and so secretly, sometimes dealers
forget to warn everyone. So, unless you
ask, you can’t be sure if you’re using the
same shit.
4.
5.
6.
7.
There are a lot of myths out there around what to
do when someone overdoses. I am not going to
deal with these myths in any deep way, but will
mention some of the most important ones:
Injecting saline does not reverse overdose.
Neither does walking someone around. Actually,
walking your friends while they are overdosing can
do more harm than good. It forces the drugs to be
metabolized faster, hastening overdose.
Sometimes, even when you ask you won’t
get the correct answer. Even your dealer is
often kept in the dark. Therefore, if you’re
using a new batch, use with caution. Try a
bit first to assess its potency.
Injecting an opiate overdose victim with an
stimulant doesn't necessarily help the person for
the same reason why drugs should not be mixed.
You can virtually eliminate overdose from
your life if you DON’T USE ALONE! When
I wrote “Use with Caution”, I meant be
careful how much you use, and don’t use
alone. Most overdoses are reversible. If
someone can place you in a recovery
position (see diagram ABCD), or make sure
your airway is not blocked, or knows First
Aid, that someone will save you.
Slapping your friends while overdosing will not
help them unless you're trying to get rid of pent up
frustration. If you are having a problem keeping
your friends awake, you need to get them help.
Finally, if users don't overdose right away doesn't
mean that they are safe. Some people have died
of heroin overdose three hours after ingesting the
drug. This means that you have to keep an eye
on your friends for a long time.
Learn First Aid. I learned First Aid and CPR
at South Riverdale Community Health
Centre, and because of it, I have saved at
least three people from sure death. One of
these overdoses was so serious, I did not
dare stop the CPR to call an ambulance –
but after about 20 minutes of CPR (actually
it seemed an hour to me) I had the person
breathing on her own. Since then, I am
convinced that I can reverse most opiatebased overdoses through CPR.
At COUNTERfit, we have already offered
overdose workshops for our Harm Reduction
Workers and volunteers. Soon, we will offer basic
First Aid workshops to our service user. These
workshops can save the lives of your friends and
dear ones. In the meantime, it is important for
you to learn the basics about overdose and
prepare for them. If you or your friend are
overdosing, you can also call me on my cell-phone
(416.454.7389). You can call me anytime, any
day, whenever overdose is involved. Even if I
don’t answer my phone immediately, I will listen to
my messages and respond to your call as soon as
possible. In the meantime, be safe.
Don’t mix your drugs: mixing drugs is one
of the easiest ways of overdosing Even
the combination of depressants and
stimulants can be problematic. Different
drugs have different half-lives and if one
drug lingers in your system longer than the
other, you’re left to deal with the effects of
the other drug alone.
Raffi
8
The Cost of Doing Nothing
while our friends are dying
written by Molly Bannerman
Over the past few months,
we’ve seen a significantly high
number of community members
die. Some of these deaths
have been the result of
overdoses. Others have been
the result of health
complications. Some deaths
were preventable. Others were
not. Whatever the cause,
preventable or not, these
deaths are so hard to
experience for all of us. They
bring up fear, anger at
ourselves for not doing more,
anger at others for what they
could have done and didn’t,
and at the world for the realities
we live in. We know that drug
users are more prone to early,
preventable deaths than other
non-drug users for many
reasons. Drugs can be hard on
our bodies and can diminish
our health. But there are many
more reasons. We face more
judgement as drug users, and
sometimes can’t access
services because people are
being judgmental or overtly
denying us services because
we’re drug users. We have
less health care available to us
- and the health care that is
available is often pre-occupied
with the connection between
our health concerns and our
drug use, overlooking other
potential health problems or
attributing their cause to drug
use. The result is that we don’t
get the same health care as
others, or procrastinate about
seeking health care help
because we’re sick of being
treated that way.
The COUNTERfit Harm
Reduction Program at South
Riverdale Community Health
Centre is an amazing program
at reducing the harms related to
illicit drug use, but we have
more work to do. Our hope is
that people who use services at
COUNTERfit take away
leadership and knowledge
about how to reduce these
harms when they are using in
the community or are talking to
people who use illicit drugs.
For example, Raffi has written
an article about overdose and
how to reduce the risk of
overdose-related deaths (see
previous article in this edition of
TotalHYPE). We hope that
anyone reading the article will
take the knowledge and share it
with others or will encourage
others to read it.
We want all of our service users
to be leaders in the community
about harm reduction. In fact,
we not only hope for it, we want
to expect it. We want to be
able to brag about it. And in
some cases we can. Many of
our service users, volunteers,
and allies share information
throughout their days about
reducing the harms related to
drug use. But over the last
months, it has come to our
attention that our service users
and others who use illicit drugs
don’t always know what to do
when someone is suffering, or
having serious health problems.
9
And we’ve noticed that not
everyone knows how to take a
leadership role and help
someone in crisis. Some
people fear calling 911 because
of what it might mean for them
or others involved. They ask
questions like - If someone has
overdosed, will others in the
room be blamed by police?
Will they be charged for having
drugs? Will they be disclosing
a location where people can
use safely - rendering it
vulnerable to police
surveillance? Will other drug
users be angry at one person
for calling 911 and having the
police come to the location?
Some may even think
“someone else will call” or
“what’s in it for me”. In reality,
these questions prevent people
from getting help and they sit
by without doing anything,
letting someone suffer. The
reality is, the vulnerable person
who needs help will inevitably
suffer significantly and maybe
even die. But those who did
nothing will have to sit with that
reality for the rest of their lives a guilt I wish on nobody.
In the state of New Mexico
there is a legal provision called
the “Good Samaritan Law”.
New Mexico has one of the
highest rates of overdose in
America. People rarely knew
how to respond to overdoses,
and feared calling for help for
many of the reasons above.
The implementation of the
“Good Samaritan Law” was
The Cost of Doing Nothing
intended to encourage drug
users to call for help if someone
was overdosing by extending
some protection to drug users.
While the Law has limited
capacity to prevent charges
related to drug trafficking or
existing warrants, the law did
work in helping to encourage
drug users to call for help when
someone was overdosing.
In Canada we have no such
law, provision or assurances.
However, as drug users and
people who believe in harm
reduction, we need to take a
leadership role in seeking help
for our friends who are in health
crisis. We have options. And
we all need to take on
leadership roles in helping
others, especially when we
know we are made so
vulnerable by our drug laws.
Here are some options to
consider when someone is
dealing with a health crisis:
•
Seek medical attention if
someone is in a medical
emergency. Use your
judgement about taking
someone to an
emergency room or
calling an ambulance to
come to the location. If
there is time, you can call
the COUNTERfit office or
mobile number during
their service hours to ask
for advice. You can also
call TeleHealth to ask for
advice. This is a free
number you can call to
speak to a Registered
Nurse about health care
•
•
related questions (see
below for number).
If you are worried about
how the person will be
treated by staff at the
emergency room
because they are a drug
user, call COUNTERfit
and ask someone to
accompany the person or
meet them at the
emergency room. Staff
are able to advocate for
services and support
drug users during the
crisis.
If you are using at a drug
dealers place or a “crack
house” and are worried
about calling 911 and
attracting attention to the
place, think about calling
a cab and taking the
person to the hospital. If
you don’t have money,
try to convince the dealer
to help you get
assistance for the
person. Drug dealers
don’t want anyone to die
in their home. They don’t
need that kind of heat.
Remember, a medical
emergency can happen really
quickly and you may not always
have time to take a person to
the emergency room. You may
have to call 911 and have an
ambulance come. If this is the
case, consider the following:
• Call 911 and give the
address
• While the ambulance is
coming, have one person
stay with the person in
crisis and talk to them,
trying to 10
keep them calm
•
•
•
continued . . .
and assuring them that
you’re there with them
and help is coming,
Have others work
together to try to clear
the space of drugs and
drug paraphernalia.
Once the space is clear,
ask everyone to leave so
they are not at risk of
arrest, questioning
etcetera.
Have just 1 or 2 people
stay with the person in
crisis. This will help to
reduce the risks for
others involved.
If there is time, contact
COUNTERfit Staff. We can
help to reduce the risks for
those involved and to provide
help. We can come to the
location, help to clear the
space, or take the person to the
hospital.
Above everything - don’t do
NOTHING. You have options
and can get help. Be creative.
But doing nothing is not only
negligent, it’s also inhumane.
Be compassionate for people
around you. People will respect
you for your bravery and
leadership.
Tele-health Ontario
1-866-797-0000
COUNTERfit Drop In
416-461-1925 ext. 235
COUNTERfit Mobile Service
416-451-1951
SRCHC
416-461-1925
LIVIN DEAD
Screen saver flashbacks of years made of minutes
livin just to get high.
Amongst the ranks of the Livin Dead.
We all got stories people wouldn’t believe.
Chippin Bolivian soft as soap, the colour of mother of pearl one minute.
Hooverin the basement floor with a straw,
next minute
the crash of the Livin Dead.
On the arm of the Man with the jazz
one minute
emerging from the brite lites of the all-nite pharm
into the early hours to pan for one more hit
next minute,
All the dearly departed
Shot gun blasts
one last smash,
HIV
hepatitis C
Livin Dead ‘
‘Cept…
I stepped out of the Ranks,
went civvies
Got this dread disease.
Still…
at this minute(an anyone who knows me’ll tell ya “positive” enters my world only as a test
result – not a state of mind).
STILL…
at this minute,
I’ll hazard to sayI’m feelin alive these days.
Can’t say I’m happy – though I laugh
and smile and play.
But one minute is quite often just like the next.
I’m learning to know what to expect from myself, from my world which has
grown from
a minute
to a lifetime.
Even with Hep.
Screensaver snapshots of plans for tomorrows
Amongst the Ranks of the Living.
11
by Lorie
“dirty” “addicts” and “abusers”
Written by Molly Bannerman
COUNTERfit, staff, volunteers and service
users are often reminding each other that
language defines the reality around us. One
of the most common examples we hear is
the use of the term “clean” - referring to
abstaining from drug use. While people
often use this term with pride, expressing
their own sense of accomplishment for not
using, the terminology inevitable casts
judgement on those who are not abstaining.
By using the term “clean” to refer to
abstaining we are implying that the opposite
applies to those who are using.... that drug
users are “dirty” and “unclean”. While this
may seem like a small detail, these small
details create a bigger reality and social
understanding of drug users. Lets face it,
there’s tones of judgmental people out there
and this kind of language plays in to people’s
judgements and the stigmatization of drug
users.
Another common example we hear is the
use of the word “addict”. I hear many
arguments against the use of this word. But
often these arguments are made by people
who have had the experience of being called
an “addict”. I can’t claim this and therefore I
don’t feel like I can make that argument first
hand (although it makes perfect sense to
me). However, the parts of this argument
that I do feel I can advocate include the
argument that the term ‘addict’ has been
used primarily by professionals who work in
the drug “treatment” field of work. Generally
the term is used to problematize drug use. It
implies that drug users have little control
over themselves and that they need to be
“fixed”. I have never understood this
perspective. There are so many drug users
who not only function well in our society - but
in many cases they also add creativity to
communities, challenge people’s
assumptions, and pushing more
conservative populations to think outside
their normal perspectives. Even more
importantly, drug use is often part of being
social and having fun. It also can help
people to cope with stresses. To assume all
drug users need fixing is such a gigantic
leap from reality. But this is the context the
word “addict” is also used in. It emphasizes
the notion that there is something wrong with
all drug users and that they need treatment.
The final part of the argument about the
terminology “addict” that makes a great deal
of sense to me is how all encompassing the
term “addict” is. Somehow, people are
allowed to be “addicted” to cigarettes or
coffee and its a small part of their identity.
Its not something friends or family generally
focus on. Health Care providers might spend
a bit of time talking about the negative health
consequences of smoking or drinking too
much coffee, but its not usually a central part
of all healthcare appointments. And it
doesn’t impact what health care people
receive, whether they have ulterior motives
for their behaviours, or whether they’re lying
about their level of stress or pain in order to
get drugs or whether their health concerns
are an actual problem or whether it is a
consequence of drug use?. Once you’re
identified as being “addicted” to illicit drugs,
pretty much everything about you becomes
defined as a “drug addict”. It often becomes
the focus of health care appointments.
People around drug users including family,
friends, the community, all seem to consider
this as an all encompassing identity. Not
only is people’s health care affected, but also
their treatment by the police, by their family,
friends, children’s aid workers, etcetera.
People seem to see an drug users as an
“addict” first and foremost, neglecting all
other aspects of people’s personality,,
struggles, feelings, and more. Any other
roles, skills or identifying traits fall by the
12 wayside and people become “An Addict”.
“dirty” “addicts” and “abusers” continued. . .
The idea of a drug users being able to
parent, be a friend, a sister or brother, a care
provider - all seem to be compromised or
questioned. Similarly, any skills or
professional identities become irrelevant.
People are identified as “addicts” before they
are identified as truck drivers, poets, writers,
health workers, mothers, daughters, brothers,
sisters, etcetera. I’ve never understood how
this one simple trait can become the single
and most identifying trait for someone. Many
other behaviours are treated differently (i.e.
people who smoke or drink tones of coffee!).
When we use this word “addict”, we’re
playing in to this all encompassing ideology
and forgetting about all the amazing
characteristics and dynamics of each others
personalities, and how we’re treated by
people around us.
I recently read an article about research done
in 2008, highlighting the significance of
language in defining the reality and
specifically, how we see and treat drug
users. In the research, surveys were
distributed and completed by about 500
professionals attending a conference on
mental health and “addiction”. The survey
included a bunch of statements describing an
individual who used illicit drugs and was
having trouble following court orders. Some
of the participants at the conference received
surveys using the terminology “substance
abuser” and the others received surveys
using the terminology “substance use
disorder”. Those who received the survey
with the “abuser” terminology were more
likely to use punitive measures to deal with
the individual not following the treatment
plan, and were more likely to agree with
statements implying that the individual was to
blame for not following the treatment plan.
On the contrary, those who received surveys
using “disorder” terminology were more likely
to create the impression that it is something
13
treatable.
While I’m not sure I can necessarily agree
with the idea of “treatment” in the way it often
exists today, this research clearly shows how
language can create differences in the way
professionals treat people...and the services
people receive. The article discusses the
ways that problematizing drug use creates a
significant amount of stigma which reduces
the likelihood of individuals seeking support
or accessing services. The article goes on to
highlight the differences in language when
referring to “eating disorders” and not “food
abusers” for example, which shifts the sense
of blame, and the use of punishment versus
support. It changes the dynamics of social
stigma. The article also refers to an old
proverb saying which highlights this point:
“If you want something to survive and
flourish, call it a flower; If you want to kill it,
call it a weed”
COUNTERfit is a program that aims to
challenge the social realities defined around
us - and how they impact people. When you
hear words like “clean”, “addict” or “abuser”,
take time to reflect on how this might make
people who are using drugs feel, and how
words create norms around the treatment of
drug users in our society. Change is a slow
process. But if we all work together to
change the languages we use, we can work
together to improve the treatment of drug
users and the way drug users are seen in our
society. Drug users must have the right to be
seen as individuals who are loved, have skills
and different roles, and who are valued.
Reference:
“Words used to describe substance-using
patients can alter attitudes, contribute to
stigma”, International Journal of Drug Policy,
http://www.physorg.com/
news182604133.html
Thanks to Zoe for sharing this article!
I Don’t Care one way or the other,
But
Lovers
I feel your soul, wounded so
With slings & arrows in mounting score
As moved as any when love doth pierce the heart
and tho we try, we cannot stop – the more painfully
we stab, the more we lose control
Without our willing it; the duel becomes a living thing
Here’s the reasons why
my words
FLY
at your face
an assault in place
of expected grace
& class
You try, as I, to pull your jabs
We, each of us, lack power.
We seek to speak – our words come out all twisted.
The fight is now beyond us.
The slings & arrows fly at will
If you can take it
I can make it
be myself around u.
I’m not rough & tough
and my angry words
belie.
no longer can we bind them.
Each hit you take, I reel from heartache.
We cry out our regrets,
There seems so far and wide
Past choices taught me
hide the nice
a tearful deep divide
Both with heavy, leaden hearts
the duel over, we walk apart.
Cobwebs of guilt choke my breath
I’m left bereft. My soul, shredded/strewn in the
bitter wind
I seek solitude as a fugitive
giving thought to nothing else
Knowing the hurt will come
wanting only to run
For if I stay I will seek you out
and we will continue to hurt each other
with our love.
Lorie
14
save it 4 the few who
see me & who really
want the truth & not
the lies.
The ones who take their
masks off too,
and look me in the eye.
T’anx 4 dat – I tip my hat.
You get to meet the girl I hide,
I’m just like you
a little scared
a whole lot lost,
and dyin deep inside.
Lo!e
Realities of Living on Social Assistance
The Star, Published April 6, 2010
Nick Saul Executive Director
of The Stop Community Food
Centre
other things, social assistance
rates by 22 per cent.
In the Liberals' recent budget,
the poorest in Ontario got
exactly what they've come to
expect from politicians. They
weren't just ignored, they were
attacked. This time it was
through the eradication of the
Special Diet Allowance, a
lifeline to food for thousands of
people living on social
assistance in this province.
Hiding behind an auditor
general's report that
highlighted fraud in the
system, the Liberals nimbly
sidestepped the real fraud
perpetrated each and every
month: unethical and
staggeringly low social
assistance rates, which rob the
most vulnerable people in our
society of their health and
dignity.
The McGuinty Liberals said
they'd take a different tack on
the poverty file. They told us
they understood that poverty is
more often than not connected
to a disability, lack of
affordable housing or a
pension that doesn't cover the
bills. The language was good.
Many of us working with the
most vulnerable in our
province felt hopeful that
change was coming.
No one wants to be poor. No
one wants to battle
cockroaches in a damp
basement apartment or send
their kids to school hungry.
This may sound self-evident,
but it's worth reminding
ourselves of this lest we go
back to darker political times
when poverty was seen as a
character flaw or a lifestyle
choice.
It's mantras like this, of course,
that Mike Harris and his
government dined out on
during their tenure. They
demonized the poor, stripping
away our hard-won social
safety net, cutting, among
But the recent budget is a
stark reminder that you can't
eat nice words. Yes, they have
moved on increasing the
minimum wage. But when it
comes to people on social
assistance this government
has, in real terms, done
nothing to reverse the Harris
cuts. The new budget raises
Ontario Works rates a meagre
1 per cent (a monthly increase
that's less than a round trip on
the subway) while inflation is
projected to rise to 2 per cent
this year. And the elimination
of the Special Diet Allowance,
an additional amount allotted
to those whose poor health
demands healthy food, is
actually a step backwards for
thousands of people.
We've all heard the repeated
calls for "realism" and
"restraint" when it comes to
spending, but for the poor and
marginalized in this province,
reality is restraint. Reality
means making choices
between rent and food,
15
medication and diapers, a
transit pass or textbook. Under
the new budget, a single
person on Ontario Works will
receive $595 a month; the
average bachelor apartment in
Toronto rents for $800. Do the
math: such low rates mean it's
impossible to afford both
shelter and healthy food. Everincreasing numbers of people
are forced to rely on food
banks, an inadequate
emergency response that is
now entrenched and
institutionalized.
And it's not just those on social
assistance who are affected.
Poverty affects us all through
lost productivity, unsafe
neighbourhoods, ballooning
health-care costs, unrealized
potential and a shortage of
skilled workers. With this latest
attack on the poor, the Liberals
are stealing from our future.
We need to show this
government that we won't
accept such short-sighted
"realism." We need to remind
them that tackling poverty
requires leadership, training
and supportive social policy
that can help people move on
with their lives. It's why The
Stop and thousands of others
want this government to
immediately introduce a $100
healthy food supplement for all
adults on social assistance.
We ask also that it establish a
rate-setting process based on
what it actually costs to live in
our province – not on some
arbitrary number the
government feels it can afford
at a particular moment. Being
Realities of Living on Social Assistance
from the Star, continued from last page . . .
realistic should not mean
battling a deficit at the expense
of the province's most
vulnerable.
This week, a group of wellknown Ontarians will show this
government that they aren't
willing to accept its retreat from
its own poverty reduction
agenda. Toronto's Medical
Officer of Health Dr. David
McKeown, activist and author
Naomi Klein and former head
of Alliance Atlantis Michael
take action.
MacMillan, among others, plan
to experience for just a few
days the reality of living on the
It's not too late for the
budget available to someone
McGuinty Liberals to fulfill their
on social assistance. This
own promises. In fact, we need
means eating only from a food
their leadership now more than
ever. Rhetoric about equity
bank hamper and at soup
kitchens. This act of solidarity
and fairness must be replaced
aims to draw attention to the
by action. Doing nothing just
gross inadequacies of social
isn't an option anymore.
assistance rates
and underline the
urgent need for
this government to
If I had a hundred dollars
if I had a hundred dollars
I’d buy some salad, and maybe keep all of my
teeth
A Letter to Delton
I imagine you in my dreams, You finally came to me.
My prayers were answered. My life has finally
changed, Because you loved me for me. You were there
when nobody else was, you always put me first. I ask
myself if this is real, If you are my night in Shining
Armor and found out God sent you to me. It’s hard to
believe your in my life, Now I want to become your
wife. You have a strong spirit, and a wonderful heart.
You have always been there to support me, with open
arms and a listening ear. A shoulder to lean on. My
love for you is constant, never failing. Pure as a Dove
sent from above. Delton, you have put love back into
my life, and in my heart I’ll love you until my dying
day.
Candis Beckford
16
If I had a hundred dollars
if i had a hundred dollars
I’d buy us fresh fruit, oh all them crazy seasonal
ones
if I had a hundred dollars
If I had a hundred dollars
I’d buy us a buspass, a nice reliant automobile
if I had a hundred dollars - I’d have less stress
To get a hundred dollars
you just have to stand up strong
if I had a hundred dollars
We wouldn’t have to sing this song
If I had a hundred dollars
I could eat
And we wouldn’t have to eat kraft dinner
but we would though, we’d just eat more!
and buy really expensive ketchup!
yeah, that’s right, all the fanciest ones, like the
kind that comes in bottles!
Submitted by Susan B.
Earth Day & COUNTERfit s
Community Clean Up
The most recent COUNTERfit Community Cleanup
* Team D: Leslie Grove Park and surrounding area
took place on Thursday
April 22, 2010 as part of the SRCHC Earth Day
In terms of the overall results, here are the findings:
festivities. Our tasks
* Garbage: 11 small bags and 13 large bags
included:
* 'Sharps': 1 syringe and some glass
* Collecting litter
*Encouraging and thankful
* Locating/disposing of
comments from random
'sharps' (i.e. needles, stems,
community members: 5
etc.)
WHAT IS WORSE
* Attaching posters/stickers
As of December 2009, the most
recent program statistics available
Out on the street,
Many thanks to all the wonderful
indicate
cars go by
people who participated,
that COUNTERfit distributes
man moves around,
including:
18,000 syringes per month.
does he really know why.
(These are the highest syringe
* Candy, Cordelia, Iain and Paula
distribution figures in Toronto, not
Cars make pollution,
(SRCHC staff acting as team
counting The Works (The Toronto
that is hard to bare,
leaders)
Public Health harm
It
rises
up,
and
dirties
our
air.
* April, Alma, Andrew, Bill, Carl,
reduction program] and we usually
Can we change what is
Christopher, Drake, Jim, Lorne,
distribute more needles than all
Lawrence, Maureen, Richard,
other Toronto harm reduction
happening now,
Roland, Sally, Tracy, and Vik (Cf
programs combined.) We also
can we make it better,
service users acting as
collect 85% of the number of
or do we know how.
participants)
needles we distribute.
To
clean
it
up
is
a
very
hard
* Molly (safety contact at SRCHC)
task,
Considering the large number of
The target locations were:
supplies we distribute and how
but if we don’t we’ll live
busy both the COUNTERfit office
through a mask.
* Team A: SRCHC vicinity North:
and mobile service are, the fact
They say that drugs are bad
network of roads and alleyways
that we are not finding more
for
your
health,
in the area bounded by Dundas
carelessly discarded 'sharps' in
St E, Pape Ave, Queen St E,
but with this pollution,
our parks, streets, gardens,
Carlaw Ave
alleyways etc., is truly remarkable.
do we share the wealth.
Reports of carelessly discarded
For when I Die,
* Team B: SRCHC vicinity South:
syringes found by community
who will say he died from
network of roads and alleyways
members are also rare. We
drugs,
or
the
car
going
that
in the area bounded by Queen
believe these are both indicators
St E, Pape Ave, Eastern Ave,
of our program's success.
way.
Carlaw Ave, including perimeter
Hooray!
of the former Woodgreen
by Chris Fitzgerald
Community Services and first
Please consider getting involved
alley way south of Queen St E,
in future community cleanups
between Carlaw Ave and Empire Ave
during the next few lovely months. Stay tuned for
17 more information!
* Team C: Jimmie Simpson Park and McCleary
~ Sang Won
Playground
G"elle . . .
we’ll m"s y$
So I hear you’re leaving us, how will you go, train or bus?
You showed us how to be healthy and strong.
You showed us how to do it right not wrong.
You showed us how to do it right,
you showed us how to make our star shine bright.
You will be missed by one and all,
now who will catch us when we fall.
I just hope whoever gets your skills now,
appreciates how much you mean
so take a bow!
Good Luck!
by Anita
JAIL - it is . . .
I was left for dead in the
west
too much bed head
skin turned red
so instead i fled
with fleas
to the east, please
this is one outrageous
disease
of my own destiny
please i plead
send me simply free
transferred with hundred
people
into penatang
on a chain gang
with orange orangoutangs
wondered me
do my own thing
so once again I moved and
grooved
to maplehurst
well things got worse
my body was gonna burst
maybe I should’ve stopped
at the first verse first
rhyme
in time
if you got the thirst
I seen the nurse
18
She almost called a hearse
i muse
converse
if you bind
got a pill to cure this ill
I’m sure you’ve one
in your purse
jail - it is all inside us
remove that dreaded curse
from stevie p
so stick with me
i’ll take you the place to be
aka steven phi
Can Video Surveillance Cameras
Make Us Safer?
As drug users, we
constantly worry about
being under surveillance
by police or the
government, and because
of Canada’s punitive drug
laws, we are always
vulnerable to being
harassed and criminalized.
Things like cameras in the
community, supposedly
intended to increase
safety, can make us feel
like we’re being watched
and targeted by people
advocating for “safer
communities”.
Recently, however, a
woman was brutally
assaulted in the South
Riverdale area. She didn’t
know the assailant. And
had very little memory of
what he looked like. The
police took quick action
and questioned many
merchants in the area to
see if there were any video
cameras that might have
captured the assailant.
And despite a few
merchants having
cameras, none of them
had any useful video. The
cameras were either off or
not facing the right
direction. After a few
weeks of investigation, the
assailant came forward
and confessed; however,
this could have happened
much quicker if the police
had found a video
recording of the man. And
to be honest, it was strictly
luck that the assailant
confessed. We’re pretty
sure this is a rare
occurrence.
At South Riverdale
Community Health Centre
we have a few cameras
around the building. None
of these are at the front of
the building because we’ve
worried about the feasibility
of police requesting the
recordings to criminalize
our service users. We’ve
also worried about our
service users being
suspicious of why we have
cameras. But in the
situation above, the
cameras could have
helped our service user.
This incident has pushed
us and some of the women
who work in the sex trade
to consider whether we
should be installing
cameras at the front of the
building. We could
advertise these to women
who are sex working so
they can use them to
record their dates and
increase their safety.
19
While installing cameras
could help to increase
safety for our service
users, it could also make
our service users feel
uncomfortable, distrustful,
and potentially not come to
the centre.
To help us make a good
decision on this, we want
your feedback.
Would a video camera at
the front of the build
make you feel more or
less safe? What are the pros and
cons? What do you think
about the idea?
Please drop by
COUNTERfit and share
your thoughts with us - or
leave us a note by
dropping it off in one of two
spots: there is a tin can
marked “COUNTERfit” at
the front reception desk,
and one in the
COUNTERfit Drop In
where you can drop off
your thoughts.
Thanks!
COUNTERfit Staff
& creative chameleons…
writers-in-waiting
calling all writers,
a lively new group will
be happening in late
may-june at south
riverdale community
health centre for
COUNTERfit
service
users. the group will
meet once a week to
write. we will write
quickly and slowly, we
will write poems,
rants, haikus, serious
stuff, funny stuff,
letters, poems,
tributes, memories,
short stories,
manifestos, personal
dictionaries, and/or
anything else your pen
wishes. if you think
you might be
interested,
speak with kate or call
416-461-1925 ext. 388.
check out
this stuff in
the
community
...
WoodGreen Community Services Program Calendar - 650 Queen St.E.
Mondays
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
Information and Referral
Desk: 9am to 12 pm
Information and Referral
Desk: 9am to 12 pm
Harm Reduction Drop In
9am to 12 pm
Breakfast Drop In: 9 to
11am
Breakfast Drop In: 9 to11am
Housing Drop In: 9am-1pm
Guitar Group: 9:30 to 11am
Guitar Group: 9:30 to 11am
Bagged Lunch:11:30 am
Bagged Lunch:11:30 am
Information and Referral
Desk: 9am to 12 pm
Bagged Lunch:11:30 am
Information and Referral
Desk: 9am to 12 pm
Fridays
Information and Referral
Desk: 9am to 12 pm
ID Clinic Drop In: 11am – 1
pm
Hot Lunch: 10:30 am
- Lobby
Stretching and Relaxation
11:30 am
Stretching and Relaxation
3:30 pm
Second Harvest Food
Truck: late Morning-early
aft Supply, quantity and
distribution times vary.
(Pick-up tickets around
10:30 am)
Bingo Group: 1 to 3pm
Shared Care – Health Clinic
with doctor - by
Appointment
1 to 4:30 pm
Harm Reduction Hot
Lunch:
12pm to 1pm
Bagged Lunch: 2pm
Bagged Lunch: 2pm
Housing Help Drop In: 1-4
pm
Shared Care Medical Drop
In with nurse and case
worker: 8 am-4pm
(Schedule varies: Check
with reception)
Shared Care Medical Drop
In with nurse and case
worker: 8 am-4pm
(Schedule varies: Check
with reception)
Shared Care Medical Drop
In with nurse and case
worker: 8 am-12pm
(Schedule varies: Check
with reception)
Women’s Beading Group
(Talk to Gillian Edwards for
details)
Legal Drop In: Speak to a
lawyer alternate Thursday
afternoons. Check with
reception to confirm lawyer
is scheduled.
Lobby Courtesy phone (please dial 9)
WCS program calendar Apr14,2010.doc
20
Shared Care Medical Drop
In with nurse and case
worker: Every second
Friday Morning
(Schedule varies: Check
with reception)
Don’t forget to
contribute articles,
drawings, art,
poetry, safety
information, stories
etc for our
upcoming
COCAINE
ISSUE
We’ll release this issue
when we have enough
information to create an
ENTIRE
TotalHYPE Newsletter
all about COCAINE
Join
Nothing
About Us
Without Us
ay
M
he
t
r
us fo
p
i
r
T
O
G
A
&
c
i
n ay 20 ay
c
i
P y M ay M
a
d
d
n
s
o
r
Thu rting M
ta 7th
s
p
u
1
r
n
o
g
f
i
S
e
t
a
K
or on
y
l
l
o
ti
a
M
m
t
r
c
a
o
f
t
n
n
i
25
9
Co more
1
1
6
4
416
Are you a current or former
illicit drug user?
Are you interested in
advocating for the rights of
drug users?
Do you believe we should
have the same human rights
!!!
as
ON
I
T
C
RRE
everyone else?
O
C
Toronto’s Drug Users
Union
g:
n
i
t
Ou
Thurs. May 13, 2010
2 - 4 p.m.
South Riverdale CHC
955 Queen Street East
Coffee, snacks, and TTC
provided
We Demand to
Have A Say!
contact
torontodrugusersunion@g
mail.com
21
Sun
Women’s Coffee
Hour: Molly’s Office
Mondays 8am- 9am
Women’s Harm
Reduction Drop-in
Tuesdays, 4th Floor
9am – 11am
COUNTERfit
Mobile Service
Mon – Fri:
6pm – 12am
Sat & Sun:
Noon – 12am
Queen St E
Health Bus Stop @
Woodgreen
Tues’s 12:30-2:00pm
Women’s Health
Bus Route
Wednesdays 5- 6am
Bike Clinic
Front Lobby
Every Thursday
1pm – 3pm
Outreach Clinic
Tues & Thurs
2:00pm – 4:00pm
31
Victoria Day
24
17
10
3
s
yi
a
D
y9
r’s
a
e
th
M
Mo day,
n
Su
Mon
May
COUNTERfit Harm
Reduction Office
Drop-in Hours:
Mon – Fri: 9am-5pm
22
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
10 - 12(Sarah)
25
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
10 - 12(Sarah)
18
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
10-12 (Sarah)
11
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
10 -12 (Sarah)
4
Tue
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
1:30 – 5 (Laura)
26
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
1:30 – 5 (Laura)
19
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
1:30 – 5 (Laura)
12
Harm Reduction
Housing Workers
1:30 – 5 (Laura)
5
Wed
27
20
13
r ug
to D
n
o
r
To
ion
r Un
Use
p.m.
2-4
6
Thu
28
COUNTERfit Cooking Group
10 - 12
COUNTERfit Cooking Group
10 - 12
21
10 – 12:30pm
14
COUNTERfit
Cooking Group
CF 10
Cooking
Group
- 12
10 – 12:30pm
COUNTERfit Cooking Group
CF 10
Cooking
Group
- 12
7
Fri
2010
Note
An OW / ODSP
Worker comes to
SRCHC every
Thursday from
2 - 4 p.m.
Talk to a
COUNTERfit Staff
for more
information.
In loving memory of Lory-Ann.
You will be missed.
23
COUNTERfit Harm Reduction Program
South Riverdale Community Health Centre
955 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON
M4M 3P3
p: 416-461-1925 ext. 232
24