The other day, I went and checked out a homeless encampment Calgary police had just begun dismantling and cleaning up..It was at least the third time they have had to clear that location of squatters. The area was littered with everything from propane canisters to mattresses to syringes..It was a mess and had been a hub of local crime for months. A fire had recently burned about half-an-acre of bush in the area and it was only through sheer luck that one of the many propane canisters hadn't ignited and killed somebody. .The site was dangerous and police could no longer ignore it. The constant thefts in the area had residents and businesses on edge and a confrontation was sure to happen eventually..The sight of tent encampments and addicts in various states of inebriation in cities has become ubiquitous..Policies of enablement have failed catastrophically as the number of street addicts has grown exponentially in every city. Particularly those that provide a 'safe' supply of drugs..In two short months, the snow is going to fly and every Canadian city is going to see a disaster as addicts are exposed to the elements..We prefer not to look at it..We would rather not talk about it..Unfortunately, by burying our heads in the sand, we are letting this looming wave of crime and death build up and it’s past time to ring the alarm bells..Warning of the impending crime and death isn’t exaggeration..What do people think will happen when the street addicts face minus-30 weather? They will reach a state of desperation..Transit systems will become rolling, heated drug consumption centres and robberies will rise as addicts can no longer ply their trade of theft and bottle picking due to deep snow and low temperatures..The fentanyl addiction crisis isn’t like others we have seen. The drug is plentiful, powerful and incredibly addictive..The addicts you see bent over and oddly paralyzed while staring at the ground have taken fentanyl. The behaviour is called nodding. Others simply fall and pass out with their pipe in hand moments after smoking their chosen poison. The drug can also be laced with a number of substances..While the drug consumption in itself is dangerous enough, it becomes far more so once the cold Canadian winter sets in. Nodding off can lead to lost digits, limbs or even death by exposure..The issue we have isn’t a lack of shelter in general. It’s a lack of shelter for addicts..Addicts can’t be housed in conventional shelters because they won’t stop consuming drugs. Shelters can’t manage strung out addicts and it puts other residents at risk..Addiction enablers try to claim the reason these tent camps are springing up is due to the high cost of living and rents. Yes, we do indeed need more affordable housing, but that is a separate issue from the addiction problem. .We can’t set aside rental properties or housing for street addicts. The addicts will spend every penny in the pursuit of their next fix and won’t pay rent even if it was only $50 per month. If we give them free housing, they will trash the place and strip the wires out to sell the copper. Let’s not pretend otherwise..Citizens and governments at all levels need to embrace a reality check on the issue and fast..If we continue down the road we are on right now, we will be facing a horrific number of deaths and witnessing new levels of misery for addicts and those impacted by them..We must intervene..Every civilized nation has legislation allowing the state to remove a person’s liberty if it is evident they will harm themselves or others if left to their own devices. This can be done in cases where people have serious mental health issues..There is no good reason why such intervention isn’t justified when it comes to street addicts. We have more than enough evidence they will harm themselves and others if left on the streets..Sure, there are some addicts out there who remain resilient and will survive the winter. There are many more who won't. Just looking at them shuffling along, covered in sores and frightfully thin, it's a wonder they are surviving even now. .Yes, the success rates of treatment are low when the addict didn’t come in willingly. The survival rate of street addicts when left alone is even lower though. There is little to lose with intervention at that point..Cities should be seeking out and sourcing secured, heated spaces where people can be kept when the need comes..The alternative to not intervening is to have emergency services workers dedicated to harvesting the frozen bodies in our alleys and parks while hospitals take care of frostbite and hypothermia cases..We can’t allow civic leaders to procrastinate..Winter is coming.
