• evergreen@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    So basically keep doing what we’re doing then and hope that things magically change? Many of the people suffering from addiction here actually are from other towns and cities all over the country. They end up staying here because their addiction is supported, and they never escape the cycle.

    One of the supervisors that endorsed this measure, Matt Dorsey, is a recovered addict himself. I’d think that he would have a better idea than myself of what works and what doesn’t.

    Honestly, I think it should be a Federal Government issue at this point because it is affecting people and destroying lives all over this country.

    • Nurgle@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      No… use the resources that you’d waste on testing for actual proven tactics. And not to sound cold hearted, but it’s a lot more effective to prevent addiction than to “cure” it. All of which is ignoring that you’re going to waste a lot of money on lawyers as this has been struck down several time’s now.

      I do strongly agree this is a state and federal issue as cities are shouldering the overwhelming majority of the burden. They are being forced to deal with the symptom (drugs/crime), but have virtually no means of addressing the root causes of a problem that usually start somewhere else.

      • evergreen@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Agree with preventing addiction being a much better option, when available. It really sucks to see these people being given this slow torturous death, or being otherwise irreversibly damaged, all while ruining the city and sense of safety for others.

        What would you say the proven tactics are that we could apply here, and where have they been proven?

        • nickwitha_k (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
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          8 months ago

          What would you say the proven tactics are that we could apply here, and where have they been proven?

          Based upon the rat city experiments, improve quality of life, reduce stress, and increase social connection. All of which can be addressed by taking on wealth inequality and financial instability as well as reducing the average hours of work needed to afford necessities for living (or better, remove the requirement). Drug addiction is largely caused by the circumstances surrounding poverty and other high-stress situations.