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When I read Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s call to close safe inhalation sites in Montreal, such as Maison Benoît Labre in St-Henri, I was conflicted. He spoke about the importance of funding abstinence-based addiction treatment programs, which is something I know is needed, and I commend him for bringing it to light in a public forum. But I also know that we cannot afford to narrow our focus when it comes to treating a societal problem of this magnitude.

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I am the director of Chabad Lifeline, a non-profit and non-sectarian addiction counselling centre providing free and immediate service to those affected by addiction, with a special emphasis on youth and families suffering the mental health impact of a loved one’s substance misuse. Our experience tells us that abstinence is the most effective way to treat addiction among adults. However, it is not the only way to ease the suffering of those afflicted by addiction, especially among those who have lost the ability to keep a roof over their heads. Choosing one at the expense of another will cost lives, which brings us to the larger matter at hand.

This is an issue exacerbated by shame and stigma, which is why we need to face the true scope of addiction and recognize that it far exceeds the funding available to treat it effectively. This is a matter of life and death, and shifting money around from one mode of essential service delivery to another does not address the fact that an issue reaching epidemic proportions requires an adequate response from the individuals we elect to represent us.

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Every day, Chabad Lifeline opens its doors to good people who are struggling, from every background, age group, and financial situation. Addiction does not discriminate. Furthermore, we treat the kids, partners, parents and siblings of those who come to us for help, and the collateral trauma we see is a tragedy that goes largely ignored when it comes to public services. Our philosophy is that addiction is a family disease, and a major tenet of our mission is to proactively seek out the hidden victims, especially among youth, who otherwise suffer in silence.

I believe that treating the problem at its roots in the home will go a long way toward precluding the need for measures like harm reduction, but this will not happen overnight, nor does it obviate our society’s duty to tend to its most vulnerable simply because a perfect solution is currently beyond our reach.

Until we prioritize reducing the staggering human cost of addiction at an appropriate scale, and account for the full spectrum of its manifestations, we cannot rationally expect the situation to improve. Nor will it improve as long as people are merely seen as “slipping through the cracks,” rather than being swallowed by a growing and inescapable chasm. And telling ourselves that addiction is a moral failing of the individual will only make it easier to look the other way as the problem spreads even further.

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Our organization does not rely on government funding. We are able to fund the majority of our services and programs through the generosity of private donors, a testament to the fact that the community at large recognizes that addiction and its broader impact far exceed the services that are made freely available. But community members can make up only so much of the shortfall.

To this end, we call on the government to allocate more funding for any organization dedicated to effectively combating addiction while attenuating its fallout, which begins in the home and cascades outward to our communities. This is not a problem that only affects “other people.” Every one of us is vulnerable to its consequences.

Since 2007, Rabbi Benyamin Bresinger has served as the director of Chabad Lifeline, which can be reached at 514-738-7700. To learn more, visit chabadlifeline.com, or drop in on an open speaker meeting, Tuesdays at noon, 4615 Côte-Ste-Catherine Rd.

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