Support for the needle exchange program from United Church members has also changed, said Drake. When we first started needle exchange, there was a lot of controversy. At Presbytery when I first introduced it, there were a lot of fears and questions. The questions were answered from the perspective of this being a major health issue for an at-risk population and Drake has now started to highlight the program when speaking to various groups. The outreach's program works because the clients are not judged but are accepted as human beings, Bowditch says.
Drug abuse is a consequence of something else that has happened in their lives.
It's been part of their journey, whether it be discrimination, abuse issues, marginalization, a thousand different things. We can't just look at them as injection drug-users. George is a prime example of someone that looks at all that stuff that brought them there. Palmer calmly greets each person who comes through the door, calling them sir or ma'am or simply acknowledging that they, too, are worthy of attention. Many have tried addiction treatment programs, tried to keep a job, but the drugs pull them back down shortly after they return to their previous homes, says Palmer.