B.C. residents can now provide input on how to tackle toxic drug crisis

[whatnext]

Interesting article in the National Post today:

Adam Zivo: The silencing of drug addiction experts who criticize 'safe supply'
Professor says the B.C. provincial government is censoring him
Author of the article: Adam Zivo
Published Jan 02, 2023

One of Canada’s leading experts on drug addiction says British Columbia’s provincial government asked him to delete a crucial database in an attempt to censor criticism of the province’s homeless policies. The incident appears to fit within a larger, nationwide campaign to silence experts who believe that, when it comes to homelessness and drugs, Canadian policy-makers are on the wrong track.

Dr. Julian Somers is a clinical psychologist and distinguished professor at Simon Fraser University, where he directs the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction.

In 2004, Somers established the “Inter-Ministry Evaluation Database” (IMED), which linked data about vulnerable populations across various B.C. ministries — for example: days spent in hospital, detentions and criminal convictions, medications, and income assistance. This helped create detailed pictures of people’s lives, allowing researchers to more accurately measure the impacts of government policies.

Over the years, the database was used in over 30 provincial reports, 60 peer-reviewed publications and several graduate theses.

Somers then used the IMED for his own $20-million research project into anti-poverty programs in Vancouver. The project randomly divided 497 participants into three groups, giving each a different support program. Using the IMED to follow their lives over five years, it concluded that B.C.’s standard approach to homelessness was ineffective.

Tents are seen on the street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in a file photo from Aug. 24, 2022. Victims of street crimes perpetrated by encampment inhabitants are revictimized by pro-encampment activists, writes Adam Zivo.
Adam Zivo: Encampment activists callously harass victims of street crime

In B.C., as in much of Canada, the popular approach is to herd homeless people into housing where most, if not all, residents are fresh off the streets, creating a critical mass of trauma and addiction. These residents are then given a “safe supply” of free drugs and provided few resources for recovery and social reintegration......

https://nationalpost.com/opinion/silencing-drug-addiction-experts-who-question-safe-supply