I went to Vancouver looking for solutions. I was hoping to find ideas that could be used in Seattle. Instead I found a case study of what not to do.
We took these pictures in the same park yesterday's video came from. The table is from a Vancouver group that claims to do "harm reduction." Yet in the 2 hours we were in the park interviewing people, we never saw them turn around to help the person right behind them. Instead they were giving out supplies, tourniquets, alcohol wipes, etc. to enable more of the same behavior by others in the park. I walked by multiple people smoking crack and shooting up in broad daylight. You may even catch a glimpse of it in the video. I don't know if they did anything before we got there, but for 2 hours that person was lying in the filth on the ground.
Allowing people to die on the streets is not compassion. Enabling people to inject poison into themselves is not compassion. Letting people live in squalor is not compassion. I am tired of people saying we are not compassionate because we are looking for solutions to get people off drugs and off the streets. We are trying to save lives.
The people working for and volunteering for the groups I met with think they are trying to save lives too. I just don't understand what their endgame is when the staff of the facility told me that only 5% of people who come into the injection sites seek treatment and only 1% of those actually follow through with it. The common refrain was, "...we are providing a safe space."
It is time to invest in mobile treatment options in Seattle. We need to invest in mental health facilities. We need to train and hire more social workers and case workers. I will be learning as much as I can about workable solutions for Seattle's drug and mental health crisis.
www.hoffmanforseattle.com ... See MoreSee Less
2 days ago ·
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No this isn't Seattle. It is Oppenheimer Park in Vancouver across from an injection site. There is a playground and baseball field in the middle of the park. Businesses across the street are boarded up. This is what these sites do to the people who frequent them and neighborhoods surrounding them. More to come. ... See MoreSee Less
3 days ago ·
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I went to 2 injection sites in Vancouver, and all I got was Narcan and a crack pipe. Video, write ups and pictures of the experience coming soon. We cannot allow these in Seattle. ... See MoreSee Less
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4 days ago ·
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We had a great crowd and an amazing time at Derby Restaurant at The Shop last night. This is my new favorite bar and hangout in SoDo, Seattle, Washington!!! If you would like to host a meet the candidate event, volunteer or donate please go to my website www.hoffmanforseattle.com Please remember to support local businesses! ... See MoreSee Less
4 days ago ·
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