Americans love their narcotics but what do we do with addicts? With all this wealth and opportunity why are people so miserable? Democracy, capitalism and the Protestant work ethic can produce some fantastic incomes quickly but beneficiaries that don’t know what’s missing, where they came from or where they are going need help.
Government workers can’t talk to addicts about virtue and knowing God because the state has rejected our founding documents and employees often can’t even remember what they mean. Some agency people would rather that addicts drop dead than get Jesus on board and be delivered from addiction.
So, the best government can do is give out money, syringes and narcotics thinking that is compassionate. Recently, in the Covid-19 hysteria San Francisco moved addicts into hotel rooms, purchased and delivered alcohol and drugs to them. Now, north valley counties are having syringe distribution programs inflicted upon them to reduce harm.
Marvin Olasky, author of ‘The Tragedy of American Compassion,’ says the problem is that government cannot love people but instead gives hand-outs. Poverty fighters in early America, before government usurped their role, actually cared about people. They knew them, their kids, and about the family dynamics. They avoided creating dependency and fought for their clients’ independence and dignity.
People can love people, but government clients become a number, a last name, an application. Then there are regulations and forms, applying on-line and making an appointment next week. Sorry - closed for Covid, no NA and no AA right now. After work hours, government lights are out.
The state’s recent letter to Yuba-Sutter supervisors and city council members announcing the upcoming syringe access and disposal services touted the benefits but left out some data. The paternalistic state cherry-picked the stats to argue its case versus supplying data so community leaders could think for themselves.
The letter mentioned that Yuba - Sutter Counties ranked very high in drug overdose/poisoning deaths compared to the state averages. And, said that in 2017, 10% of those infected with HIV in Sutter County and 9.9% of those infected in Yuba County reported injecting drugs as their means of using. However, the letter did not say that is how people got HIV rather than by sexual relations.
For example, needle drug users can also be homosexuals and/or prostitutes, both considered high risk groups for HIV etc. Unfortunately there was no data noted in the letter for the number of HIV patients in the counties leaving the size of the problem to the speculation of local leaders.
According to county health profiles online, the average number of Yuba-Sutter HIV patients for 2015/16/17 was 79.7 in Sutter County and 73.3 in Yuba. So, the state letter is saying there are 7.97 HIV positive people in Sutter and 7.25 in Yuba that admitted injecting or about 15 HIV people total that inject among 170,000 residents in the 2 counties.
Yuba-Sutter does not have an urban injection problem causing HIV. Maybe the state should address how to curb sexual behaviors.
The state’s letter highlights the opportunity that syringe delivery sites offer, namely HIV and Hepatitis C Screening and Care, referrals for addiction treatment, overdose education and prevention. Maybe that will happen or maybe not - is there any other government service that is easily accessed and performs well in the state?
If the government is looking for places to expedite delivery of assistance to addicts it certainly has not taken advantage of existing opportunities.
Sutter-Yuba Behavioral Health controls all the money for treatment locally but is cumbersome to deal with when addicts are desperate, broke, ill, and with no transportation. The addict still must see a Behavioral Health intake person to get funding even after being accepted by a rehab. Addicts have no tolerance for bureaucracy or a “He’s not available today.”
Addicts exiting jail could be given a health card, a starter strip of Suboxone, a doctor’s appointment and/or a prescription for medication. Nearly all inmates have drug and alcohol problems and the counties could curb addiction and overdoses with an exit plan. So far, there has been no motivation to coordinate government services for a release strategy though it is used elsewhere with great success.
Drug Court has been undermined with a reduction of sentences for crimes and the new catch-and-release approaches. Detaining addicts should not be viewed as an arrest but as a rescue using incarceration to provide them services. Drug Court rescues addicts.
Parole and probation offices, pharmacies, law enforcement, jail, physicians and Adventist Hospital are all contact points for addicts. Each could do a part to curb addiction and overdoses (overdose prevention, rehabs, HIV, Hep C, etc.) if there was a strategic plan.
San Francisco (SF) is handing-out 4.5 million syringes each year, but Yuba-Sutter is no SF. With only 15 HIV patients admitting injecting drugs the urban syringe campaign seems premature here.
(Get Lou’s podcast at “No Hostages Radio” and his articles at nohostagesradio.com)
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