Posted on 09/04/2011 2:41:11 PM PDT by Vigilanteman
YEKATERINBURG, Russia — The treatment center does not handcuff addicts to their beds anymore. But caged together on double-decker bunks with no way out, they have no choice but to endure the agonies of withdrawal, the first step in a harsh, coercive approach to drug treatment that has gained wide support in Russia.
“We know we are skirting the edge of the law,” said Sergei Shipachev, a staff member at the center, which is run by a private group called City Without Drugs. “We lock people up, but mostly we have a written request from their family. The police couldn’t do this, because it’s against the law.”
A thick silence fills the little room crammed with tall metal beds, obscuring the fact that there are 37 men lying shoulder to shoulder, each lost in a personal world of misery.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The traditional Native American way was somewhat similar. If the addict had friends, they would take him on a long extended hunting, fishing and camping trip until he got the crap out of his system. Most of the time it worked. When it didn't, they returned without him. It seemed like a more humane system that what we do now as a society of enablers.
For all the criticism which the Slimes publishes about this method, I notice they print nary a word about its results.
The English used opium quite effectively to undermine China and the communists resorted to executing drug dealers in order to eliminate it. Here we tax the productive to maintain the lifestyles of the dissolute, drug users or not.
EVERYTHING ELSE follows.
Given that addicts constantly tell themselves that they can quit any time they really want to. After an experience of actually "quitting" they will know how easy (not) it was to quit and thus help them stay off drugs. I wonder what the statistics are of staying off drugs for addicts who have gone through the program.
““Is it wrong to rescue a drowning person by pulling their hair?” asked Yevgeny Malenkin, a founder of City Without Drugs, summing up the public view. “If people say it is cruel and inhumane, let them teach us how to do it otherwise.” “
I detect a whiff of common sense.
However, this is subject to abuse. Any enemy of mine could I guess assert I am a drug addict and have me abducted and chained to a bed. There obviously need to be safeguards.
They would know from your behavior that you’re not a addict.
Being pissed off about being cuffed is one thing...detoxing is another.
There’s a smell to it...corpse like.
i don’t want parasites on the govt dole either.
This Russian way of ‘treating addiction” and touting it as a NEW way is ridiculous!
1. Its not treatment and it doesn’t “end “ the addiction for most adicts/alcholics.
Their treatment is called DETOX. No biggie. Most addicts have gone through this hundreds of times, when they have run out of booze or dope. In tx centers, its the same except they are detoxed with Librium to prevent seizures. They are still miserable. One of the most effective long term treatments also has been prison, but that is pretty expensive for the taxpayor. As an alternative, the rest are most often resigned to homelessness, ( used to call them Bowry boys).
2. If this Russian tx. worked, we would already have millions of “cured’ addicts. But as soon as this horrible experience is over, many go back to drinking or drugs, if there is no follow up, AA, or NA or a church recovery group.
3. As for the Native Americans approach, well, its just detox again and then abandoning the person to the wilds. Actually not a bad idea. We do something similar here where very chronic alcoholics are put into a year long , very restricted environment and must stay there by court order.
The most effective treatments to date are intense residential treatment for about 90 days, followed by Aa, NA or a church recovery group. Some addicts do also well with several months of outpatient recovery groups and go back to a functioning, tax paying lifestyle.
For “Liberals”, the only political recovery, as in my case( ha) is growing up, and facing responsibilities of working for a living. for the rest of the Libs, there is no recovery...they remain insane and untreatable for life. ha.
How's that work, since there are plenty of drugs in the prisons?
Thank you. Addiction does not end after withdrawal. Addiction is controlled when the addict decides to control it.
I also think that addicts would also be more motivated to go the AA, NA or church recovery group approach if they knew the only alternative was the Native American or this approach.
As long as they can find another group of enablers or a government check, that will be their choice.
This crap has to end somehow, or at least reduced to the point where it is manageable. Singapore did it in one generation. I don't think we have the national will to do it that way, but maybe the Russian or Native American way.
By the way, while most of us are familiar with the Singapore approach of executing drug dealers, fewer of us are familiar with their approach of treating addicts who repeatedly refuse to be cured-- they are basically exiled to small islands like the Native American approach with a little more mercy-- a food ship shows up a couple of times per month and the climate is a lot less harsh than that of the Plains and Rocky Mountain tribes.
“They would know from your behavior that you’re not a addict.”
Yes, my concern would be, they are in it for the money, the more “addicts” they can chain up for a year, the more they make.
If the whole place were run by men of integrity, no problem.
But since that’s a rare instance. . . they need safeguards.
Excellant post..thanks for the additional information.
An island sure is more humane than the ridiculous homeless situation we have, where we pretend these addicts just are ‘homeless” yet don’t have the guts to mandate some form of treatment and their cooperation in a recovery program...Well, heck, we don’t even drug test welfare recipients!Yeesh.
Perhaps in lieu of the island concept, the court mandated and restricted ( really restricted ) year long “ residential tx centers” are cost effecient, no fancy stuff there, and work on job skills, basic functioning, recovery meetings, health care etc. There is one out some miles from Tampa Fl in the country for chronic alcoholics, year long residence, court mandated, not locked up but if you leave early you go to prison.
Short of some restrictive or sending them away, the rest is voluntary and the number of addicts that go to 12 step groups is very, very, very tiny. Our role as a society is to increase the consequences of alcoholism and addiction while offering low cost treatment.
Treatment doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive...and would pay off for the taxpayor. Of course, that doesn’t deal with the many ‘enablers” people have for a very long time.
Nor do colleges or univsrsities deal with the rampant alcohol and drug consumption by young people. Drug testing should also be mandatory for any college student that receives federal or state funding! Can you see breathalyzers as they walk into geology class..just kidding. ha.
Drug addiction would plummet once gov programs that keep them alive stop.
Has to happen sooner or later anyway.
Addicts would either die or get clean.
I wouldn’t expect anything less from a country who sent Christians to Siberia for refusing to denounce Jesus Christ.
Maybe they should have the addicts in Siberia just to insure a better outcome. (sarc)
The best way to cure an addict is for them to turn to Jesus. Whom He sets free is free indeed.
The govt programs are the same ones that are the entitlements that addicts & non addicts get that they don’t deserve.
“Addicts would either die or get clean.” that happens anyways.
Step #2 is to arrest, try and execute drug pushers. Those who sell this poison.
I happen to agree, but the sad truth is that most of them hate Christianity, regardless of the brand.
I have no problem with an addict turning to Jesus, AA, NA, or even a Native American support group which practices a traditional tribal approach.
I can't tell you the best way to cure them, but I can tell you the worst: a government check which enables them to continue until they reach their ultimate end.
Yes, it happens anyway, after tons of taxmoney thrown down the drain.
I agree. Libertarians hate me, though. I’d say public caning for the first offense of drug dealing, just to be nice. Execution for the second offense.
I don’t want one penny of tax money to go to supporting drug addicts so they can continue to destroy their lives. Private charity is the way to go. No foodstamps, free doctors, nothing. Let them get clean via private charities. Whether addicts use religious or secular or Native American methods, whatever works.
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