Vancouver, San Francisco seeing similar debate on how to approach drug crisis

WITH JULIETTE GOODRICH. >>> GOOD EVENING, THIS OVERDOSE AWARENESS WEEK. IT IS ALL THIS WEEK. WE CONTINUE OUR SPECIAL SERIES ON THE OPIOID CRISIS. IT IS FOCUSING ON THE SHARED EXPERIENCES OF SAN FRANCISCO AND VANCOUVER. ANOTHER CITY HIT HARD OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. SLOWING YOU THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE DEBATE HOW THOSE POLICIES ARE WORKING. AND, TONIGHT, WE FOCUS ON THE QUESTION FACING BOTH OF THE CITIES, HOW TO GET PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION TO MOVE TOWARD SOME KIND OF HELP. >> 19, AND JOSHUA AND DOMINIC, 16 AND 15 YEARS-YEAR-OLD. >> THE BIGGEST REASON FOR HIM TO GET CLEAN IS HIS SONS AND THEY ARE THE BIGGEST PAYOFF FOR HIM. HE IS A YEAR INTO REHAB PGH AND HE IS AS A BIG PART OF MAKING IT THIS FAR HAS BEEN A DRUG-FREE ENVIRONMENT. THE SALVATION ARMY IS AN ABSTINENCE BASED PROGRAM AND THE HOUSING THEY ARE PROVIDING IS NOT NEAR THE HEART OF THE CITY'S DRUG CRISIS. >> WHEN I WALK OUTSIDE THE CENTER THERE IS NOT A SIDEWALK LINED WITH, YOU KNOW, DRUG USE. >> I AM EMPLOYABLE NOW, I AM BACK TO BEING A FATHER, A FRIEND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE MY FAMILY BACK IN MY LIFE. >> SO, HOW DO YOU STEER PEOPLE TOWARD HELP? IN A PLACE WHERE DRUGS ARE PLENTIFUL AND CHEAP? >> QUESTION IS PRODUCING INTENSE DEBATE IN BOTH CITIES. WILSON WALKER CONTINUES OUR COVERAGE FROM VANCOUVER. >> ONCE YOU NEAR THIS FIVE BLOCKS BY TWO BLOCK RADIUS YOU HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN AN ADDICTION WITHOUT HAVING TO DO MUCH. >> Reporter: IF IT IS THE STREETS AND ALLEYS OF VANCOUVER'S DOWNTOWN EAST SIDE OR THOSE IN SAN FRANCISCO TINDER LOIN, ONE OBSTACLE OF PULLING AWAY IS DRUGS ARE EVERYWHERE. SOMETHING WE HEARD BEFORE. >> DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO HAS GOTTEN CLEAN OUT HERE? >> YEAH. >> YEAH. >> HOW DID THEY DO IT? >> GET AWAY FROM HERE. >> Reporter: A PARALLEL CHALLENGE IN VANCOUVER, HE HAS TRIED THE TREATMENT PROGRAM OFFERED AT THE DOWNTOWN SAFE USE SITE. >> THAT ONE, THAT ONE HAS NOT WORKED FOR ME. MAYBE I WAS NOT READY OR MAYBE I JUST -- MAYBE THE ENVIRONMENT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOOD WAS TOO MUCH OF AN OVERLOAD FOR ME. >> Reporter: THAT IS ONE REASON HELP HERE COMES FROM OUTSIDE OF TOWN >> THIS IS A PLACE THAT YOUR MOM AND KIDS CAN COME AND VISIT AND FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE. IT IS ALWAYS WHAT HELPED US CREATE A COMMUNITY HERE. NEIGHBORS LOVE US, WE TAKE CARE OF THE LAWNS >> 30 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN YOU WILL FIND THE LAST DOOR RECOVERY SOCIETY JUST ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS BASED IN NEW WESTMINSTER. NOW KNOWN AS CANADA'S RECOVERY CAPITOL. >> WE HAVE BECOME THIS VOICE FOR RECOVERY IN CANADA. AND THERE IS SOME RESPONSIBILITY WITH THAT. SOME NEGATIVITY WITH THAT EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION. >> HE IS IN RECOVERY HIMSELF AND HE THINKS RECOVERY IS STRESSING A PATH WITH AND AWAY FROM THE PATH OF ADDICTION OVER SHADOWED BY REDUCING THE RISK POSED BY THE DRUGS. >> I AM GOING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE TODAY WITH A SHOT, BUT THAT IS GREAT, WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN THAT >> FOR ANYONE FOLLOWING THE CONVERSATION OVER HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS EMERGENCY THIS RECOVERY VERSUS HARM REDUCTION ARGUMENT WILL SOUND FAMILIAR. >> LIKE I KEEP SAYING, HARM REDUCTION DOES NOT ENABLE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE IN THEIR ADDICTION IT ENABLES PEOPLE TO CONTINUE LIVING >> GUY SPENT YEARS BATTLING ADDICTION ON HASTINGS STREET. HE SAYS RECOVERY REQUIRES SURVIVAL AND GETTING SOMEONE RECEPTIVE TO TREATMENT OFTEN REQUIRES PATIENCE. >> IT IS NOT BUILT ON, YOU KNOW, CORPORATIONS WHERE WE WANT TO SEE IMMEDIATE, WE NEED TO SEE THE RESULTS. THESE RESULTS WILL TAKE TIME. YOU HAVE TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE. THAT IS WHY HARM REDUCTION IS SO IMPORTANT. >> Reporter: HARM REDUCTION UNTIL PEOPLE ARE READY TO ASK FOR HELP OR LEAN INTO RECOVERY MAYBE EVEN PUSH PEOPLE TOWARDS TREATMENT. THIS DIVIDE. DESPITE THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT WE HAVE SHOWN YOU. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS MORE THAN A PHILOSOPHICAL ARGUMENT. >> THERE IS A LOT OF IN-FIGHTING GOING ON. MOST OF IT IS FOR DOLLARS. SUPPORTING MORE HARM IN THE REDUCTION MODEL. >> THE SAME STORY IS UNFOLDING IN SAN FRANCISCO AS THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY PUSHES FOR A SHARE OF PUBLIC DOLLARS, LARGELY FOR DESIGNATED SOBER HOUSING. SO, BOTH CITIES ARE HAVING A DEBATE OVER WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD GO AND HOW TO BEST GET PEOPLE INTO TREATMENT. >> DETOX WILL NOT HELP ANYBODY UNLESS IT IS WHEN THEY NEED IT, AT THE TIME THEY NEED IT, RIGHT THEN AND THERE. YOU CAN NOT TELL A PERSON TO WAIT SIX WEEKS TO COME TO DETOX. THE NEXT DAY MIGHT BE THE DAY HE KILLS HIMSELF >> THAT IS ONE POINT WHERE THEY DISAGREE ON PHILOSOPHY FIND COMMON GROUND. THE IDEA THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE FAR MORE OPTIONS FOR HELP AVAILABLE ON DEMAND. IF THAT BE RECOVERY IN A SOBER ENVIRONMENT OR SOMETHING ELSE. >> SCALE OUT THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE, ALL OF IT >> I THINK IT SHOULD BE MANY PATHWAYS THROUGH RECOVERY AND LET PEOPLE DECIDE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. >> WILSON WALKER JOINING US IN STUDIO NOW. TWO DIFFERENT CITIES, VERY SIMILAR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING. HAVING THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS HERE. >> WE HAVE BEEN FOR A LITTLE BIT. HOW PROFOUND THE QUESTIONS ARE. FOR A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THAT I WANT TO TAKE US DOWN TO STANFORD UNIVERSITY. THIS IS PROFESSOR HUMPHREYS, AN EXPERT ON ADDICTION AND HE WORKED WITH THE BARACK OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, KNOWS THE SUBJECT WELL. WE TALK ABOUT LESSONS IN VANCOUVER. ONE OF THE CITIES HAVE BEEN HUMBLED BY THE DRUGS IF YOU LOOK AT MAYBE THE OVERDOSE CHART. IT LOOKS LIKE THE DRUGS ARE IN LARGE. ALSO THERE IS THE PROFOUND ACCEPTIONS THAT WE FACE, TAKE A FLIEFN SHOULD WE HONOR DRUG USE AS A FREELY -- TAKE PERSON'S DRUG USE TO BE HONORED. SHOULD WE SAY IT IS ENTIRELY UP TO THE PERSON AND WE SHOULD NOT IMPOSE? IS IT EVER RIGHT TO PUT PRESSURE ON SOMEBODY TO CHANGE THEIR DRUG USE BEHAVIOR IF IT IS DOING HARM OR JUST RESPECT THEIR RIGHT TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO? AND ALTHOUGH PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS ARTICULATE THOSE THINGS OFTENTIMES IT IS WHAT THE DEBATE IS REALLY ABOUT. >> AS YOU ARE HEARING THAT, THE GUESS IS YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ARE RAISING AND I IMAGINE FOR EVERYONE WHO IS WATCHING THE STORIES HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE QUESTIONS, PROBABLY, HAVE SOMETHING TO FEEL ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING AND AS COMPLICATED THE QUESTIONS ARE FEEL HOW HARD IT IS. SPEAKING OF POLICY, WE HAVE AN ELECTION COMING UP AND WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS TOMORROW NIGHT. >> THAT IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT GETS SOLVED OVERNIGHT AND DIFFERENT LAYERS TO IT. APPRECIATE YOU GOING UP THERE. WE HAVE ANOTHER REPORT FROM YOU SNOW. >> WE WILL TALK POLICY TOMORROW. >> THANK YOU. >>> YOU CAN WATCH WILSON'S PREVIOUS STORIES ON KPIX.COM AND IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW IS STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION NAL