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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

SCOTT ANDERSON -- Interior Health simply hears what it wants to hear and ignores the rest


CASANET News ... Interior Health's administrator for mental health and substance use says there were few new ideas shared at a town hall in Vernon on Tuesday ... McEwan said there was a shortage of meaningful suggestions based on facts or tested measures ...



This is why the Interior Health Authority (IHA) has such a bad reputation with its treatment of the truth.


It seems to be run by marketers rather than health professionals, first trying to tell us that 99% of the needles handed out were recovered (and eventually apologizing for that published figure, and now skewing the numbers ** and suggesting that the "majority" of people want an overdose prevention site (OPS).

There are two problems with this.

First, the most raucous cheering of the night was when someone said "we don't want an OPS".

Second, the service providers all showed up in a block, as usual, so even if IHA's statement were true, it isn't at all representative of the citizens' wishes.

Interior Health simply hears what it wants to hear ** and ignores the rest. Let's see if they are as attentive to the request by Vernon Council, the Chamber, and the DVA that the Overdose Prevention Sites stay away from downtown.

~~~ Scott Anderson



** Interior Health's administrator for mental health and substance use, Colleen McEwan said, "I did notice that 13 people were in support of an overdose prevention site, and I think only three people actually came forward and said they weren't in favour, so that was interesting,"


** "I didn't hear anything really new. I didn't hear a lot of evidence-based practices that worked in other communities or communities similar to ours."

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