petra wright

I read your recent piece on drug consumption rooms, and while I understand the angle you're presenting, I must strongly disagree with the overly positive framing. And again my instinct was right in that I have wasted my time in trying to convey how scewed and biased the spin is to people who have no understanding of the current treatment landscape in Scotland The reality on the ground is very different, and it's crucial to acknowledge the rising evidence that questions the efficacy of these "interventions". Please take a moment to review the attached report, which shows a disturbing trend: overdose deaths are increasing in areas with drug consumption rooms. In San Francisco, for example, the overdose death rate surged from 80.3 per 100,000 people in 2022 to 99.6 in 2023, setting a grim new record. British Columbia has also seen an upward trajectory in overdose fatalities since implementing these rooms. If these consumption sites were truly working as intended, we would not be witnessing this alarming rise in deaths. The notion that supervised consumption rooms are as Councillor Casey @AllanCasey89 says the "missing piece of the jigsaw" is simply unfounded and deeply ignorant. The data clearly demonstrates that these rooms are not preventing overdose deaths—on the contrary, they may be exacerbating the issue. Additionally, the claim that these sites act as a “gateway” to other treatment options is grossly misleading. In Glasgow, for example, there are only 23 meaningful treatment placements available for the entire city, which leaves individuals with very limited options after accessing these rooms. This creates a cycle of stagnation, with no clear path to recovery. I can provide irrefutable evidence of this with the links below. Incidentally, it was also incredible to see Mr. Casey do the majority of the press for this facility when so many others in the Scottish Government quangos had been instrumental in pushing for it, and it is very telling that when it actually opened, they were shy of the limelight and actually removed themselves from the main social media platform where this debate has taken place, @SDFnews. This shift speaks volumes about the lack of accountability and transparency surrounding the facility’s rollout, and raises questions about who truly stands behind these controversial decisions when the spotlight is on. The idea that these consumption rooms lead to further treatment is laughable—there simply are no viable services available. incredible that, the phrasing “if they want” falsely implies that individuals are making a choice to stay trapped in addiction, when in reality, addiction hijacks their lives and their ability to make such choices. This narrative is dangerously misleading and does a disservice to those truly struggling with substance use. Additionally, the notion of 650 beds being available for addiction treatment is smoke and mirrors. These are not beds, but rather “placements,” and the reality is that the beds are being expanded from just 70 to 140, which is still far from what’s needed. The minister has publicly stated this discrepancy, and you can find her remarks here: https://t.co/FIpcoPfM4B Lastly, before you continue to write positively about these interventions , I urge you to consider the massive astroturf movement funding the activism behind these drug consumption rooms. This movement is backed by money, not by the actual voices of people in recovery or those battling addiction. Those who are directly affected by addiction want real, meaningful change—not these ineffective, programs. Please also see the historical context by getting a flavor of whats written here https://t.co/HbVYGV3Uw9 https://t.co/vLvYbuXhAh https://t.co/lAUoy9so53 https://t.co/fbOwD7fh1g https://t.co/OD2lw3uWDz https://t.co/MVUf9Gkd0P These two should really interest you regarding that alleged 35% drop https://t.co/kikkKoQLy7 The Scottish context https://t.co/BLkySecymY and finally please take into consideration before or if you ever write anything about this topic again - heres is what the majority of people in recovery and currently using addicts actually want https://t.co/cOpxNRNJB7 Here is a link to the report i mention https://t.co/b8r2BAbuaZ and here is a link to the article the journo wrote https://t.co/jpEgpWXTsN ps I'm documenting all of this so as when people look back and say WTF were they thinking ... it's all here !

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