Has no respect for addicts

The opioid crisis is way out of control.

Everywhere I look I see drug addicts using, selling or high on drugs. It’s disgusting and our government is enabling this behaviour. The rational for safe supply is to eliminate stigma. How is that even possible?

When I see someone who clearly doesn’t care about my right to a safe and clean city, why on earth shouldn’t I have distain for them. If someone doesn’t respect themselves, I sure as heck won’t (have respect for them) either.

A while ago, I watched a man sitting on the side of Harvey Avenue (in Kelowna) smoking a “dope pipe.” I could see the flame from his torch going into the pipe. The man clearly didn’t care about stigma.

Now I’m reading about hospital staff (at G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel) being told to look the other way while addicts are using drugs and carrying weapons in hospitals.

Give me a break! This is unacceptable and the government wants to ignore, if not enable, this problem.

It’s time to put our foot down as a community and say no more—no more free drugs, no more unsafe streets, no more “catch and release” bail.

It’s time criminals were treated like criminals instead of demonizing law-abiding citizens for expressing their discontent.

Matt Irnie, Kelowna

(Editor’s note: Last week, BC United highlighted a July memo to staff at the G.R. Baker Hospital in Quesnel asking workers not to search and confiscate illicit drugs from patients' personal belongings, not to restrict visitors if they suspect they are dropping off illicit substances and not to confiscate weapons if they are found.)