“Seattle’s ‘harm reduction’ approach around drugs perpetuates the harm” (July 26, Opinion):
Andrew Constantino is right that the road scene at twelfth and Jackson requires a greater response. That’s why many hurt reduction-oriented organizations, together with ours, be part of neighborhood leaders in supporting Seattle Metropolis Council President Sara Nelson’s proposed decision to commit 25% of the proposed public security gross sales tax to efficient responses to substance use dysfunction.
As Constantino rightly says, “actual hurt discount” requires greater than assembly individuals the place they’re — it entails actively aiding individuals alongside the pathway to restoration. Nelson’s decision would stabilize fashions like LEAD and CoLEAD which have demonstrated effectiveness in doing that. As CoLEAD individuals testified in assist of her decision just lately, low-barrier fashions with sturdy case administration are a difference-maker for individuals who have been on the road for years. A long time of analysis reveals that these strategies — when scaled up — are far more practical in altering individuals’s state of affairs than prosecution and courtroom orders.
We’re grateful to Council President Nelson for her emphasis on entry to high-quality restoration providers, together with however not restricted to inpatient therapy in applicable circumstances, and we assist her decision to place these on the heart of Seattle’s public security agenda.
Lisa Daugaard, co-executive director/Goal Dignity Motion, Seattle
