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LETTER: Putting drug-addicted people like 'Dougie' on cover is a mistake

5378naloxonehorz3

The Editor,

Re: "An injection of life," the Now cover story, Oct. 2. I wonder just what you were thinking by putting this man on your front page. In a year of nursing strikes, teacher strikes and the unemployment rate at an alltime high, you choose to put a guy who chooses to get high on your front page.

As a mother, I am so sick and tired hearing about these sick people who choose to shoot up, snort up or smoke whatever they can to continue their continuing addiction.

I do not believe that we as a society are doing anything to help them by aiding them to continue to use.

In the article, "Dougie" talks about how many times he has saved someone with his Naloxone kit. I find it ironic that we are supplying people with methadone, we are supplying safe injection sites, safe clean needles, only to save them when they OD.

I wish I could say that I don't care - that it's not my problem, but it is.

I realize that these people are someone's mother, father, sister or brother, and yet I see nothing to help these families with their addicted family members.

We have no resources for anyone that is marginalized in this province. Mental health is on the back burner and our poverty level is, well, quite frankly, ridiculous for this country.

What worried me the most about your article is that my children read it and found it odd that Dougie, laughed at his addiction, that he "chuckled" about it.

They found no sympathy for him, or your article - and that worries me.

Perhaps Dougie should get off meth and consider a life of counseling. One could only hope.

Marcia Friesen

White Rock