A Door To Everything Society

Seek Help, Receive Love, Heal Within

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A New Approach:
How Communities Can Better Meet the Needs
of People Who Use Drugs

 

Travis Lupick

August 19, 2024
Host: Travis Lupick, Journalist and Author

Panelists:

Ose Omoregie, Substance Abuse Program for African Canadian and Caribbean Youth

Laura Shaver, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users

Sarah Blyth, Overdose Prevention Society

Ronni Nordal, Nordal Law

This panel discussion, moderated by Travis Lupick (journalist and author of Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction) focuses on addressing substance use and addictions in the context of community safety at the local level.

Canada continues to face an opioid crisis that is further exacerbated by stigma, unequal access to services and supports, and harmful drug laws. [Read more…]

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Retired Colonel Heals
Thousands of Addicts
with Empathy, Yoga & Service

 

By Andy Corbley, Good News Network, January 10, 2025

Addiction center in Punjab – Courtesy of Colonel Dr. Rajinder Singh

From the heartland of Sikhism comes an inspiring story of a former army colonel helping to free his countrymen from addiction through positive reinforcement.

Colonel Dr. Rajinder Singh is the founder and director of the Akal Drug De-Addiction Center in Punjab. His methods have helped over 10,000 patients kick addictions stemming from a variety of underlying causes.

Dr. Rajinder Singh in the 1980s (left)– Courtesy of Colonel Dr. Rajinder Singh

Dr. Singh is 91, but you wouldn’t know it—he works all the time to improve the center, and plans to open a third location are moving right along.

His method is contingent on transformation born from compassion and steady reinforcement. [Read more…]

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Invisible People: Human Beings First
& Housing First

Invisible People traveled to Finland to see the remarkable success they are having reducing homelessness.

Finland’s success is credited to the innovative Housing First—which began in North America.

Where Housing First is Used

Widely adopted in North America:
Housing First is increasingly used across the United States and Canada, with many cities implementing programs based on this model.

Origin:
The concept is often attributed to the “Pathways to Housing” program in New York City, which demonstrated the effectiveness of providing immediate housing to individuals with severe mental illness and substance use issues.

Benefits of Housing First

Increased housing stability:
Research indicates that Housing First (with constant support) can significantly improve the likelihood of individuals maintaining stable housing compared to traditional approaches.

Improved quality of life:
Access to stable housing can provide a foundation for individuals to address other challenges and improve their overall well-being.

Cost-effectiveness:
Studies suggest that Housing First can be cost-effective in the long term by reducing reliance on emergency shelters and healthcare services.

This model offers stable housing as the primary intervention, complemented by essential support services to address the root causes of homelessness and help individuals rebuild their lives. [Read more…]

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Jordan B. Peterson: Extensive Commonsense
Addiction Recovery in Alberta Canada

Alberta vs Ottawa: A New Vision of Health | Minister Dan Williams

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with Canada’s Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, Dan Williams.

They discuss how Canada became the epicenter of the world’s opioid crisis, the federal approach that only enables further addiction, the demoralization of Canadians as the country’s future continues to destabilize, and the efforts needed to right the ship — before it is too late.

Dan Williams was sworn in as the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction on June 9, 2023.

He was first elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Peace River on April 16, 2019, and was reelected on May 29, 2023.

Minister Williams has been tasked with implementing Alberta’s mental health and addiction strategy, known as the Alberta Recovery Model.

This policy model focuses on the fact that recovery is possible, no matter what addiction or mental health challenge someone may face.

Under his leadership, Alberta is building 11 recovery communities across the province, a record-breaking expansion to long-term addiction treatment.

He has connected with communities, First Nations, and families dealing with the addiction crisis.

Alberta has now established a new mental health and addiction agency, Recovery Alberta, which is funded and overseen by the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction.

The province, under Minister Williams, is also investing in mental health services, especially for children and youth.

Partnerships with service providers are expanding services across the entire province and connecting families with the mental health support they need.

This episode was filmed on October 31st, 2024.

****

(3:20) An overview of the provincial Canadian structure
(7:11) The rise of populism and grassroots movements
(12:54) Campaign restrictions on finances and duration
(14:40) The provinces vs. the federal government, equalization (
19:21) Why does Alberta put up with transfer payments? Treated as second class citizens
(20:34) Alberta and Newfoundland: unity through oil and natural gas
(23:55) Alberta has the third largest fossil fuel reserves in the world, Trudeau’s most contentious appointee

(29:20) Premier Danielle Smith: modifying the Albertan Bill of Rights to forbid vaccine mandates

(35:47) Reducing the power of the regulatory boards, mandated affirmation from licensed professionals
(40:24) “The institutions have fundamentally failed at their roles,” the influx of oxycodone and lost trust

(48:03) The Alberta Recovery Model – an economically viable solution for homelessness and drug abuse
(51:42) The co-occurrence of alcoholism and drug addiction
(53:53) How one crisis became two: oxycodone over-prescription caused the opioid epidemic in North America
(1:01:20) Religious transformation and breaking the addiction cycle

(1:06:27) The policy response exempted criminal drug abuse, focusing on a “safe drug supply” only made the problem worse

(1:17:44) Addiction anthropology: addressing the heart of the problem

(1:22:44) The first practical steps in detoxifying Canada

(1:25:13) Recovery capital, dismantling the lawless gang-run drug encampments

1:34 San Patrignano in Italy – the original therapeutic long-term stay community

(1:35:04) Addressing Conservative skepticism and balancing government-run intervention

1:38 Compassion, Francis George, an American clergyman: Our society is one that permits, allows and encourages everything but forgives nothing . . . . no consequences for actions . . . . gang encampments are threats to civil order

1:40 New legislation in Alberta spring 2025, Compassionate Intervention: If someone is a danger to themselves or others due to their substance use or addiction ,within a reasonable amount of time are going to cause harm to themselves or others, then it is societies responsibility to intervene because the alternative to that intervention is tragedy, is death . . .

(1:43:50) We need credible longitudinal data to disprove the corrupt institutions

1:47 In Alberta, 42-50% decrease in opioid decreases in the last month . . . the culture of recovery is working . . . truly care . . .

[Read more…]

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3 Videos, Deeper Understanding:
Thousands of Deaths
from Recreational Drugs
Spiked with Fentanyl
& the Divine Mother

Understanding the Fentanyl Crisis
John Leake, Courageous Discourse, January 4, 2024

https://petermcculloughmd.substack.com/p/understanding-the-fentanyl-crisis

Austin Police Department veteran gives excellent overview

Over the last year I’ve heard multiple stories of young people taking what they thought were recreational drugs—or pharmaceutical drugs for recreational purposes—that turned out to be spiked with fatal quantifies of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is making its way into a wide range of drugs, including stimulants. This means that, even if young people believe they are playing with typical party drugs such as cocaine, adderall, MDMA (“ecstasy”) or Xanax, they may in fact ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl.

By current estimates, 112,000 Americans died in 2023 from accidental drug overdose or poisoning.

That’s twice the number of American servicemen who died in ten years of combat in Vietnam.

An irony resulting from lethal doses of fentanyl turning up in cocaine is that it has prompted more than one Drug Dunce among my old friends to kick the habit cold turkey.

This reminds me of Samuel Johnson’s famous remark:

“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.”

Contemplating the prospect of dying after snorting a line of coke has concentrated their minds wonderfully on quitting.

Ten months ago, Austin Police Department veteran Anthony Hipolito had a long conversation with Dr. Peter Attia about the Fentanyl crisis.

Given that simple prohibition doesn’t work very well with anyone—and especially not with teenagers—parents are facing the imperative the try to discuss this massive problem with their kids in a candid way.

As we try to make sense of news reports of young people dying suddenly and unexpectedly, it’s worth bearing in mind that fentanyl-induced death happens very quickly after the victim consumes the drug.

If witnesses are at hand (within the context of a party or other social event) they will likely observe the victim pass out and stop breathing.

 

A father’s candid discourse about his son’s life, passing, his long bereavement turned to action.

Thank you, Dad, for your dedication to a solution for this . . .

https://fentanylfathers.org/

 

This is Kathleen: I was invited back to John Volken Academy, here in Vancouver, BC, on Thursday, January 4th, to do card readings with the women.

A whole new group is there now, in recovery. (When my granddaughter was born, my attention, and availability to volunteer shifted.)

It’s been over a year since I’ve visited this therapeutic community; exciting to hear about changes coming – they will have a proper detox facility incorporated into their cluster of buildings.

I stayed for 3 hours, did 10 readings, and was really impressed with this group, many dedicated to giving back, having had their lived experiences, their trauma, to draw upon to effect the changes so needed.

Ascension is happening, we are evolving. We can’t help but evolve.

From the Divine Mother, the Universal Law of Change:

What are the Universal Laws except what we have laid down to help you understand How Things Work?

It is very simple.

So it is an acceptance.

[Read more…]