Though I respect and esteem my fellow reporter Connor McDowell, I feel the urge to offer a counter-argument to his latest opinion that 鈥榝orced recovery is the loving thing to do.鈥�

In the column鈥檚 first few paragraphs, McDowell鈥檚 fatalistic and patronizing vocabulary makes it seem as if those living with addiction are inherently weak and helpless individuals, unable to pull themselves by their bootstraps and seek treatment.

鈥淭he drug won. Every time鈥� one has lost the war at every front,鈥� read Mcdowell鈥檚 column. 鈥淲e hear people will connect with services, and they will opt into sobriety. No, they won鈥檛鈥︹��

That鈥檚 quite a damning claim.

Without explaining why this is the case, I wonder which empirical evidence or testimonials McDowell uses to support such a statement.

Though I agree with him that addiction is a debilitating disease, this is a rather simplistic assumption and faulty generalization, based on an overall misunderstanding of the ongoing crisis.

Not only is his statement false, but it also constitutes a case of misinformation.

In its , Walk With Me published a thorough analysis of the gaps and strengths in the Valley鈥檚 services offered to the drug-using population. Containing numerous accounts from substance users as well as local advocates and health-care professionals exposing the system鈥檚 flaws, the report highlighted a particularly glaring issue: the lack of local medical detox services.

鈥淚t is no wonder that wait times for entry to medical detox represent a prohibitive barrier to service,鈥� the document reads. 鈥淲ait times can range from two to three months and even more.鈥�

At the moment, there are only two grassroots detox centres in the Valley - both of which have very limited spaces. The nearest government-funded detox centre is located in Nanaimo and has equally or even longer waiting times.

The day McDowell鈥檚 piece was published, I went to the Connect Centre and spoke with Justin, Bailey, and Andrew - who all live on the street and have an ongoing addiction. They鈥檝e all attempted to go to detox and corroborated Walk With Me鈥檚 findings.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really unfortunate that so many people still believe detox is readily available. It is not. It is a painstaking process and there are so many barriers along the way,鈥� said peer advisor Taija McLuckie, who herself dealt with substance use issues in the past.

Alternatively, one could go the private route and to go to rehab, in the hope of kicking their addiction for good.

I could go on, pointing out how B.C. fails to provide the services claimed by McDowell, but I digress.

Although I believe it wasn鈥檛 his intention, this kind of claim is responsible for steering the conversation in the wrong direction, further dividing and polarizing people on the subject of addiction and homelessness.

Singling out this marginalized group only fuels detractors of this population, who could use this piece as a valid argument to justify their anger.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, to the extent that their argument is based on evidence and hard facts rather than hearsay, rumours, and unfounded claims.

In my latest column, published on Jan. 24, I argued that blaming the 鈥榟omeless drug addict鈥� is an all-too-simplistic rhetoric that takes our attention away from the real problem: decades of governmental negligence.

Further down the line, McDowell did just that and shifted his attention to criticize B.C.鈥檚 leadership and proposed 鈥渇orced recovery.鈥� I can somewhat agree with him on this one. I similarly believe that mandatory treatment might be one of the keys to dealing with the ongoing crisis.

While I respect my colleague鈥檚 intention to share his opinion with our readership in the hope of pushing the discussion forward, the execution was flawed.

I believe in a robust democracy where people can openly exchange ideas in the public sphere and vote for policies that reflect the majority鈥檚 opinion. If, as a society, we choose the mandatory treatment route, may it be. But we must make choices that are well-informed, and free from the influence of misinformation.

Beyond that, we need to tread carefully with the legal and ethical dilemma of taking one鈥檚 freedom away as it comes with great responsibility to ensure this person鈥檚 care and well-being. However, without the existence of a strong social safety net, I do not believe that we鈥檝e reached this place yet.

Olivier Laurin is a reporter at the Comox Valley Record