In a message dated 9/8/2000 7:11:51 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au writes:
>
> >suddenly had thousands of mentally
> >ill people thrust upon them, unmedicated with no shelter. It was an ugly
> >sight.
>
> Somewhat similar here. But at least we're starting to `trial', as they put
> it, `safe injecting rooms' where addicts can shoot up without killing
> themselves and littering the alleys and shop doorsteps. Much righteous
> indignation from clerics and olde farts, of course.
>
yeah, I heard about it on public radio. This is like the clean needles
programs here, but taken one step further.
Junkies and mentally ill people without medication are a different thing!
Mentally ill people won't take any money away from the cheapos , they mostly
avoid anything to do with authority anyway, or are just too bewildered and
disoriented to fill out the paperwork required to get aid. They don't have
the wherewithal to procure heroin. They aren't very good at crime either.
Most of the "dirty" people you remember viewing in the US skid row areas are
mentally ill.
LA has a serious problem here. In fact they flock here, since it's the
farthest west you can go, so they end up here and the weathers good for
sleeping outdoors!
They do strange rituals, talk to themselves, collect garbage bags and appear
in various odd outfits. One hopes they are mostly harmless, though they are
very scary.
They used to have huge shanty towns down at the beach and set up downtown
when I first moved here in the 80's. It was horrifying.
Lately it's gotten *way* better, due to police sweeps and increased
outpatient care, The feeding programs have helped a lot, too.
Now it's condensed into one small, very smelly, skid row area by the downtown
missions. You can barely drive through there for fear of hitting someone,
since they seem oblivious to the outside world. Thousands of people wander
aimlessly through this four square block area. Any tourists planning on
visiting? It's 3rd St near Los Angeles St : - )
N
BTW I'm not sure how wise free shooting galleries are. It will undoubtedly
keep some dirty needles from underfoot, but how does that help curb the main
problem: heroin addiction...
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