Ben Wiles

Living and working in downtown Vancouver I am exposed to the negative effects of drugs on a daily basis. It is tragic to see individuals in this city suffering from substance addiction continue to be pushed to the edges of society. Addiction is a disease and it needs to be dealt with as such. Current drug policy needs to be reexamined to take into consideration the well being of the user and their day to day life- it needs to be a collaborative and compassionate effort, not further isolate users from society.

What I’ve Learned

In the past 13 weeks I have been thinking about and examining a significant issue in Metro Vancouver and in countless communities elsewhere- substance addiction. At first look it is easy to brush off as “their fault” or “their choice”. I myself, regretfully, have taken this outlook in the past.

What so many of us here in Vancouver see in our community, I have learned, does not begin to scratch the surface of the numerous complex and interrelated issues that revolve around addiction. Upon a deeper look, you find a complex web of social issues that affect and are equally affected by the addiction issues that are so prevalent in Vancouver, including homelessness, mental illness, inadequate housing, poorly accessible health and addiction services, among others.

It was surprisingly easy to speak with people in the community and most were interested in hearing what you had to say. I was surprised and encouraged by the amount of support from community members and professionals towards our interest in tackling social issues. This definitely taught me to not be afraid to try things out, to put a plan in action and not be afraid of failing.

Through the contacts we have made as a group, I have found the opportunity to get involved with United We Can improving their urban binning program through direct input from binners themselves. By putting myself in the shoes of binners and listening to their concerns, I hope to put some of the things I have taken away from this experience regarding social issues to help make a difference in their day-to-day lives. If there is one thing that I will take away regarding this social issue, and any social issue for that matter, is that to begin to address it in a sensible way you must put yourself in the shoes of those who experience it day-to-day.

Addiction is a wide spread issue; it can affect individuals, families, and communities in significant and profound ways. Often the policies we develop to deal with social issues, and this seems particularly true with addiction, are done without the inclusion of those who are most affected by it. A certain level of compassion is needed, in my opinion, to adequately understand what is required for addressing addiction (as well as other social issues) along with the direct involvement of those who experience it- including users and addicts themselves. 

In Vancouver we have the opportunity to observe and learn from the interplay among these social issues in an area that sustains their clustering- Vancouver’s DTES. But addiction and drug issues do not stop short of the boarders of this neighborhood; they are present in communities across the city, rich or poor, urban or rural. Addiction does not discriminate; it can affect anyone for a broad array of reasons as I have learned. This city also has a unique opportunity to observe first hand the direct consequences of addiction and effects of drug policies.  

Addiction will continue to affect everyone if we are not able to continuously examine our approach to addiction and critically evaluate its effectiveness. The greatest tragedy would be that we do not seize this opportunity- this opportunity to observe, evaluate, learn, and innovate our approach to address this devastating and destructive issue.