Teri Mooring🇨🇦

BC Teachers’ Federation past president, she/her. Mom to three and Noni to 5 adorable grandchildren. Bereaved mother. RT's are not necessarily endorsations.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@Bratt_world @sarobertson_ I would add Giorgia Meloni to this list.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

We’ll said! Putting the compassionate and multifaceted approach to addictions into context. 💯

[Raghu Venugopal MD @raghu_venugopal]

Hi Ben, thanks for commenting. Allow me to elaborate. 

First, nice to meet you. We may disagree on policy. But like many Canadians I have a deep respect for the commitment of your family to the betterment of our great nation.

Second, you raised that I'm making a political point which I disagree with. My arguments are based on medical foundations, which you correctly noted is my expertise. Where I think you are right is that policy disagreement can seem political. 

Ben, I don't belong to a political party. I've been an Ontario ER doctor for 20 years. I take care of diabetes, hypertension and addictions daily. I'm a full-time ER doc engaged in civic matters. And while I may criticize conservative policy Ben, I am able to praise Leader Poilievre (yesterday), Premier Ford (June 24) and Deputy Premier Jones (May 19, 26, 28) when I think they get it right. Like you Ben, I'm interested in good public policy with my orientation to the average and lower-income Canadian. 

Third - let's look at it - but I think you and I will agree on most public health policy around addictions, but not all. But first - my wheelhouse - medicine.

The foundations of medicine are the foundations of 1) chronic disease management and 2) addictions. 

The Four Pillars of Addiction Medicine:

1) Law enforcement - here Ben, we likely agree. People who violate our laws should face the criminal-justice system. As has been shown however, I don't think arresting and incarcerating someone for active drug use is the solution. They need medical care and wrap-around social services. Incarceration is far more expensive than hospital care which is far more expensive than shelters which is far more expensive than safe consumption sites. I hope we can agree a criminal-justice approach to the homeless fentanyl user (who I take care of almost daily) isn't compassionate, effective or a good use of taxpayer's money. 

2) Education/Prevention - here Ben, we likely agree. You and I likely agree all Ontarians should be drug-free. We should educate adults and children about the harms of recreational drug use. It wrecks human lives. I see it daily. Patients I have taken care of are now dead too early. You and I likely agree on the goal of total drug abstinence. We should inform those with addictions that there is no barrier addictions support (walk-in) Monday to Friday in Toronto. 

3) Treatment - here Ben, we likely agree. We likely agree Premier Ford's expansion of HART hubs is a good policy idea. We likely agree low barrier medical detox and treatment facilities should be expanded. We likely agree we are not meeting the need for treatment, because too many Ontarians still die from toxic drugs. And let's agree that it's mostly non-Toronto, young, Caucasian men of lower income that are mostly dying (with First Nations over-represented in deaths). 

4) Harm reduction - here, we may disagree but we shouldn't. Harm reduction is not a dirty phrase. It's what physicians do for a living. For the vast majority of diabetics I examine, I don't have a cure for their condition (and neither does their family MD or endocrinologist). But I treat exacerbations of their condition, we aim to improve their diet, promote exercise, counsel on adherence to medications - and this reduces the harm of their yet untreatable condition. This is harm reduction. There is no other way to describe it medically. The same holds for hypertension. For many Canadians we counsel diet (reduced salt), exercise, stopping smoking and excess drinking, weight loss and medications - because for some, their high blood pressure is incurable. Of note, some hypertensives can be cured and de-prescribed medications. 

I hope you can see how for diabetes and hypertension, physicians employ harm reduction. The same applies to addictions. 

For addictions, we should want law enforcement, education, treatment and harm prevention. Lacking harm prevention is like driving a 3-wheeled car. It can work, but it's not optimal. 

For addictions, the point of harm reduction is that it is supposed to be a bridge to somewhere. A bridge to abstinence, housing, social supports and a better life.

Two hang-ups for some are two big myths:
1) Harm reduction increases crime
2) Harm reduction doesn't work. 

Myth: harm reduction (safe consumption) increases crime
-In November 2025, McGill researchers looked at 10 years of Toronto Police data. Harm reduction sites were found to be associated with stable or less crime. Journal of the American Medical Association. https://t.co/rxeEp9x8nQ

Myth: harm reduction (safe consumption) doesn't work to save lives
-In February 2024, Toronto researchers looked at and showed safe consumption sites saved lives, The Lancet. https://t.co/yQlLOH8KhX

Thanks for reading. Ultimately, if you examine this issue from a strictly medical lens, the foundations of medicine are the foundations of addictions medicine. We have unfairly villainized harm reduction when it is what doctors in Ontario and Canada do everyday. We want to cure human disease, but when we cannot, we try to lessen the effects of the condition, and that is harm reduction - whether for diabetes, hypertension or the homeless fentanyl user. 

Thanks Ben, Raghu

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

I wasn’t sure why neither of these women called him on his condescending comments. Instead they kept answering him, as if what he was saying was reasonable.

[Acyn @Acyn]

Jennings: You're never going to defeat all the algae. When they put these nano bubblers in, I think it's going to help cure the algae.

Collins: Scott, what is a nano bubbler?

Jennings: I have no idea.

[Flavio Volpe, C.M. @FlavioVolpe1]

Of all the things that did not happen, this one did not happen the most.

[Geoffrey P. Johnston😎😷🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈🇨🇦💉 @GeoffyPJohnston]

@TheMaineWonk Dear Maine,

Stop it.

Sincerely,
Canada 🇨🇦

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

I think it’s one of the most beautiful airports in the world. #Vancouver

[R|R, MD. @NotTheVillain]

Vancouver airport, I’m impressed.

[Sangita Myska @SangitaMyska]

If you’re a mid-life woman, please read this:

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

Interesting how the MAGA crowd is only attacking the sole woman on the 250 list. How unsurprising.

[Three Year Letterman @3YearLetterman]

🚨 🚨 BRAKING 🚨 🚨

Martina McBride’s record sails are PLUMMETING as part of the backlash to her treasonous behavior in pulling out of the America 250 concert

I will take an American patriot like Shania Twain any day of the week over Martina McJudas

Who’s with me?

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

What’s your point?

[Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok]

This you performing in Obama’s White House?

[Robert Fife @RobertFife]

Hey big boy: why don’t you put your real name to your posts like Glen and I. Don’t be a coward & hide behind anonymity. Come forth and let in the sunshine of transparency.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@MikeHumanIntel @CTVVancouver For sure! I really feel sorry for these rich guys who look after themselves and don’t give a shit about anyone else.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

OMG. So true!

[Brattani @Bratt_world]

I find it ironic the very people who downplay deaths of indigenous children to disease in government run residential schools, spent months crying about sick and infected ostriches the government euthanized

[Sean Carleton @SeanCarleton]

Too busy celebrating residential schools and denigrating dead Indigenous children on the Legislature lawn to do her job. What an absolutely unserious goof.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@jessecmccormick And pretty telling when you look at them. No Indigenous representation whatsoever. Although no surprise but disappointing in this day and age.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

Do not tell me this administration cares about Americans.

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

BREAKING: A Kenyan court has reportedly BLOCKED the Trump administration’s plan to send Ebola-exposed Americans to a quarantine facility in Kenya instead of bringing them back to the United States.

And the reaction from Kenya was basically:
“Absolutely not.”

Because from their perspective, the U.S. was attempting to offshore a deadly public health risk onto another country while avoiding the political fallout at home.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

The priorities are so on point.

[Wab Kinew @WabKinew]

☕️☕️ Two-coffee morning and 100% worth it to get our budget passed. Starting July 1 🇨🇦

🛒 No PST on grocery foods

🚌 Free transit for youth

🏥 Investments in health care

🏫 Investments in schools

📉 Lowest deficit in Canada

A lot done. A lot more to do. #OneManitoba

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

But who can blame her? It’s a 🤡 show.

[Katie Pavlich @KatiePavlich]

The woman who got rich and famous off of the song Independence Day won’t show up for the 250th anniversary of America on the National Mall in Washington D.C.? And then used some PR firm to put out this copy and paste
statement ? Pathetic.

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@JasonBryanArt @VanCityVice Enlighten me. Who are the unwanted ones? And who gets to decide?

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

So what is the plan then. I can see what you’re opposed to, but you’re in power. What are you going to do in terms of supportive measures?

[ABC Vancouver @Vote4ABC]

Today, the ABC team was honoured to stand alongside residents, businesses, and police representatives to oppose the overdose prevention site at 900 Helmcken without proper consultation. It was inspiring to see so many community members stand together for the good of the neighbourhood and for better outcomes for the most vulnerable residents of our city.

Thanks to all of the community members who have made their voices hear, the opening of the 900 Helmcken OPS has now been delayed. This victory belongs to all of you.

We know that this is just the beginning and we will stand with you through every step of this process. ABC remains committed to ensuring that this OPS will not open at 900 Helmcken or any similar location.

#abcvancouver #publicsafety #affordablitily

@PeterMeiszner
@MikeKlassen
@sarahkirby_yung
@LennyNanZhou
@LisaDominato

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@MikeHanafin That’s the plan? Things just continue to go worse? Even more people on the streets?

[Teri Mooring🇨🇦 @TeriMooring]

@canadianaco What are you suggesting? Straight up incarceration? Build more prisons?