I’m currently a MFA Candidate in Visual Art at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. I made a commitment to the State of Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin to dedicate part of my research in graduate school to the overdose crisis. I am keeping that promise.
You can find relevant articles here:
https://www.vpr.org/post/debate-over-decriminalizing-addiction-treatment-drug-buprenorphine
https://www.straight.com/news/1234221/carl-hart-coming-vancouver-grownup-talk-about-drugs
https://vtdigger.org/2018/06/03/regulatory-approach-limiting-opioid-prescriptions-sparks-debate/
From opium to opioids: A look at British Columbia’s illicit drug history
Ciro’s Comment:
Thank you for clearly articulating why harm reduction measures are crucial in the overdose crisis today.
The old rhetoric didn’t stop the suffering, it enabled it.
People are dying. Ethics and morals should not obstruct people from accessing help. We should treat people with dignity and respect and meet them where they are… that is the essence of harm reduction followed closely by recovery.
This is a crucial step to a complex problem that should be a starting point and not a debate. Personal morality is not a defense for the death of others.
“Worsening of overdose crisis predicted: Limits of focusing on prescription opioids”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190201130613.htm
- https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-03/opioid-crisis-buprenorphine-medication-assisted-treatments-work