I belong to a peer group that provides me with love, support and understanding that I have not been able to find through other means, including professionals, family and friends. It is a group that no one wants to belong to and we wish you weren’t here. I belong to Moms Stop The Harm which is an advocacy group that wants to change failed drug policies by decriminalizing and providing safe supply. They also provide support to those families that have been impacted by substance use related harms and deaths.

As we close another summer and held events throughout the country and world for #IOAD2020 (International Overdose Awareness Day), it’s a time to reflect on where we are and how far we have come.

I’m very sad to say that in my home province of Alberta, we are moving backwards. Our current United Conservative Party (UCP) government only supports abstinence-based recovery. They are opposed to harm reduction and have stopped funding to our supervised consumption service (SCS) in Lethbridge. Under the name ARCHES, they operated 8 vital programs:

Supervised Consumption Services
Needle Debris Hotline (collecting discarded needles throughout the city)
Virtual Opioid Dependency (VOD) Program
Justice Services
Mic Club (listen to IOAD “Help Me”)
COAP (Community Outreach Addictions Program)
Take Home Naloxone
Urban Spirits Nursing Clinic

These services are no longer available to our most vulnerable population. Their reason for closing was due to an alleged misappropriation of funds. While nothing has been proven yet, the UCP government, under the leadership of Jason Kenney, could have implemented new management while still keeping the services available. But instead, our government chose to make his voter base happy and closed the site on August 31st - the same day recognized at Overdose Awareness Day. Coincidence, or irony? You be the judge. The fact that they closed a vital service that kept people alive, that saw 600-800 people a day access one of their 8 services, that never had one fatality and took the pressure off our EMS and emergency hospital services is mind-boggling to so many.

On the same day of the Lethbridge SCS closing, a breaking news story announced the approval, by Jason Luan (the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addiction), of thousands of dollars in expenses for the SCS Review Panel that travelled Alberta last fall. Approval of prime rib dinners, alcohol and hotel rooms that were never used – this appears to be okay with our UCP government.

There has been much divisiveness in our community and other communities in Alberta regarding harm reduction. For me, harm reduction is not the issue. Rather the lack of services we have in our city and amongst other cities is where the real issue lies! In Lethbridge, ARCHES pretty much stood alone as services available to people living with addiction, they operated 24/7; 365 days a year. They were there for people when they needed someone. How many of our other services operate 8-5; Mon-Fri. I’m sorry, most crises happen on weekends or after hours; we have to have experts in the field be available to people when that window of opportunity opens and that’s not always going to happen between 8-5; Mon-Fr.

We, the people that have loved ones in addiction or that have died from overdose, have done the research – we live it night and day – it is with us 24/7. We know or are aware of the experts in the field that have done the schooling – more importantly, many of us have walked the path of and with someone living with addiction and have witnessed the barriers that are heaped one on top of the other for someone with this disease. Never in my life have a seen such chaos and senseless policies! Policies that make it nearly impossible for some with addiction to overcome. No other government programming operates like this.

Someone looking for help is expected to do many things depending on their choice of recovery. Here are just a few of the barriers. I have gone through each of these with my son while searching for help. These barriers are infuriating!

Looking to go to treatment – first go to detox; there will be a wait to get in (but hang on to that thought of sobriety while you’re waiting days/weeks)
You’ve been to detox – YEA!!! Hold on, there’s a waiting list for treatment; could take up to 30 days, maybe more (but make sure you call us EVERYDAY and let us know you’re still sober). Hmmmm don’t have a phone, well that could be a problem – how will you call us everyday; how will we call you and let you know a bed is available?
Oh you’ve decided on Methadone or Suboxone – both good choices! Now, whaaat – I have to go to the pharmacy way across town (as not every pharmacy is allowed to dispense a narcotic) EVERYDAY, personally to get my prescription given to me! I have to wait, and hopefully the pharmacist isn’t judgmental and makes me wait even longer on purpose as I’m supposed to be at work right now.
I’m on Methadone, great now I have to do a pee test – oh I failed – you’re cancelling my methadone prescription – where does that leave me – back to finding toxic supply I guess. It was just a slip – I had a moment where I just slipped, please don’t cut me off my prescription! (how many other prescriptions are out there for some other kind of addiction but not monitored or treated with such discrimination as drug addiction).

These are just a few of the barriers that I have witnessed with my son. I’m a pretty strong-willed woman and I have intervened on some of the above issues for my son. I haven’t gotten very far either, but I will stand up and make a fuss if necessary, like at the pharmacy when they had us sit there for almost 30 minutes while there was NO ONE else at the pharmacy counter! How many of our vulnerable population will stand up to situations like this, or they may try but then will be asked to leave the store.

The discrimination and stigma faced by people who live with addiction and their families has got to change! It just has too. Trust us, we know “Addiction Doesn’t Discriminate”. There is a very good possibility it has already sunk it’s ugly teeth somewhere into your family – maybe you know about, maybe you don’t. Just know, even though we don’t want you to be a part of this group – we will always be here for you and will love and support you unconditionally through all your pain, heartbreak, successes and hurdles.

Lori Hatfield, Lethbridge, AB

Protesters stage 'die-in' outside Lethbridge City Hall against supervised consumption site closure