"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

As I was standing at the intersection of Somerset and Ruth Streets today (Sunday 8/8/21), a Substance Use Disorder patient who would like nothing more than to get her life back in order told me that she's had an initial meeting this past Friday with an official city-sanctioned outreach organization commissioned to assist people with getting into detox.  Their response was

"Wait until Wednesday."

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

Friday to Wednesday = Five Days…

While actual numbers are hard to provide with exactitude[1], for the sake of this discussion, that's…

80 units of 'heroin' assuming 16 units (one bundle) per day + 'works' (the fresh needles etc. that make injections somewhat safer) 

Cost of the above = $100 to $120 per day.

During these five days, any individual unit of this 'heroin' could end the life of this person who has gone to this official city-sanctioned outreach organization commissioned to assist people with getting into detox.

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

At $120 per day and $30 per 'date' that's 4 acts of prostitution per 24 hour period over these five days: 20 'dates'.  If the person has other 'drugs of choice' add an additional unknown number of dates to cover those expenses.  Add another 'date' or two per day to cover the costs of cigarettes, random daily expenses, and food (food is last on the list of priorities). 

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

During these five days, any 'date' could end with physical assault or rape or at knifepoint, gunpoint, or the murder of this person who has gone to this official city-sanctioned outreach organization commissioned to assist people with getting into detox.

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

During these five days, if this person is picked up by the police and charged with prostitution, there's a whole other avenue of nightmare for this person who has gone to this official city-sanctioned outreach organization commissioned to assist people with getting into detox.

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

I could go on and on about all of the hazards of not providing prompt, dignity, and respect filled care on that Friday to any person who has gone to this official city-sanctioned outreach organization commissioned to assist people with getting into detox.

Suffice it to say that

"Wait Until Wednesday" IS NOT Harm Reduction!

[1] The numbers presented here may be way under but probably not much over actual numbers.