JimFoxvog wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 11:36 am
I would presume this would be to reduce the harm to addicts. I hope they monitor the program to see if it has this effect.
So they get fewer throat burns from the choy as they slowly kill themselves. Palliative care for addicts seems like a callous, nigh-on sinister approach and all in the name of care, compassion, harm-reduction and safety.
Nellie Bowles, a person firmly on the Left, had this to say by way of introduction to Michael Shellenberger's
deep-dive into addicts living on the streets of San Francisco.
At this point all I can say is: go and see it.
Over the past two years, more than 1,360 people have died from drug overdoses in San Francisco. That is more than double the number who have died from Covid.
But you don’t need more stats. You don’t need more numbers about how the tent encampments are exploding. Or about the amount of money that the city is paying for each person doing drugs on the sidewalks. You need to see it.
I’m serious. Everyone in San Francisco should make a trip downtown. Walk around. And do not avert your eyes to the people dying slowly on the streets.
The politicians that run my hometown are relying on you not noticing what’s going on because it’s been bad for so long and who cares if it gets a little worse. Don’t let them. Go see it.
The city is using intimidation. They used it on me when I went to see what was going on at a new addict-services facility, which they’d set up in a public plaza. And they tried to intimidate my friend Michael Shellenberger, as you’ll read below.
The people in charge of homelessness and addiction want to bully people into giving up public streets and parks. They want to take your tax money and let your suffering neighbors die gentle, stoned deaths while they watch and call it justice. They think the mothers who want to get their sons out of the jaws of death are suspect. (It’s conservative to want your kid to live, don’t you know?) The city would like a little privacy please. Fentanyl use is an intimate moment between our officials and our addicts.
Do not listen to the propaganda. Skip Golden Gate Park. Bring your friends downtown instead. Stand in UN Plaza and just watch. Use your eyes, those great weapons.
Here's a link to
North Carolina's Harm Reduction Coalition where they ask things like:
Why should I smoke safer?
What is in a safer smoking kit?
NCHRC promotes crack users smoke safer if they are going to smoke. They should use the following to prevent the acquisition of HIV and hepatitis
Mouthpiece: This is the most important thing in the kit. A cut sparkplug fits nicely onto a stem. Using this prevents you from getting cut, burnt and infected lips and HCV exposures.
Rubber Bands: Wrap these around the end of the stem to prevent lip burns (be aware that with hear these occasionally melt and snap).
Triple Antibiotic Ointment: First Aid for sores. Do not use for burns.
Alcohol Wipes: Use these to clean mouthpieces and pipes, especially if you a are sharing equipment.
Antiseptic Towelettes: Use these to clean off our hands (and your John if you are doing sex work).
Chore Boy/Brio: Use this as a filter in the stem. After repeated heating choy becomes hot and brittle and can be sucked into your throat. This provides an opportunity for you to be exposed to diseases, especially during unprotected oral sex. Change out your choy often.
Screen: 1 inch screens are used as a filer in the stem. These are better than choy since they last longer.
Vitamin C & E: Vitamin C helps lessen fatigue and crashing. Vitamin E will help cuts, sores and burns heal.
Condoms (lubed and unlubed): Use...(I won't print the recommendations here)
SAFER USING TIPS
Use a glass or metal stem with a mouthpiece.
Wipe mouthpieces with alcohol before using.
Stay away from broken pipes & pipes with visable blood.
Use clean choy or copper wire. Pipe screens are best if you have them.
If using a plastic bottle or pipe, remember to change the foil and use clean ashes.
Let your pipe cool down before taking your next hit, this prevents cuts and burns.
Use straight glass shooters, it will not cause burns as quickly.
Wrap end of straight shooter with rubber bands, thick rubber, pieces of tape or paper (you can even use a rolled up matches) so you are less likely to hurt your lips.
Clean crack shooters often and carefully.
File edges of broken glass shooters until they are smooth.
Touch flame shooter quickly instead of leaving it there, move fire along shooter to spread out the heat.
Stay away from mixing drugs.
Planning how much to use and setting limits can prevent some of the dangers associated with using or bingeing. Paying rent, buying groceries and paying other bills before buying drugs means budgets won’t get out of control. After a binge, people are often very hungry and ready to crash, so encouraging people to have food on hand and a safe place to sleep will make the crash easier.
Something seems deeply off about the harm-reduction folk and their priorities.
Affiliation: Lancaster Mennonite Conference & Honduran Mennonite Evangelical Church