Lean Out Podcast with Tara Henley March 8, 2023
Harm reduction is an essential tool for those struggling with addictions, notes Dr. Somers. But an off-ramp or getting back to wellness plan is necessary too. Twenty years of research with those hardest to house confirms they want to reconnect with family, resume work and re-integrate to society, he tells noted, former CBC journalist Tara Henley on her podcast.
Having housing and treatment choices are also needed. Right now, it’s like being offered a car with a brake or a gas pedal, he said.
Decriminalization or harm reduction by themselves will not offer improvements in our addiction crisis.
His 20 years of research on those hardest to house confirmed that less than 3% were charged with possession of drugs. And “safe supply” is not a scientific term, nor does it have evidence of benefits. Listen to the podcast!
