Perhaps we have finally cracked it. After decades of fussing about addiction, responsibility, and consequence, we have at last discovered the elegant solution: safe supply — a policy directed chiefly at those trapped in cycles of hard drug dependency, in which the state provides pharmaceutical-grade narcotics so that users will not die from the impurities commonly found in street drugs.
This is the policy by which the state, having tired of discouraging self-destructive behaviour, simply upgrades it. Instead of asking people to stop poisoning themselves, we help them poison themselves more reliably.
Cleaner drugs, consistent doses, fewer surprises.
In Vancouver, BC, this philosophy has matured to the point where narcotics can be dispensed from vending machines—progress humming quietly between the snack aisle and the cash register. One inserts a card, presses a button, and receives a government-approved chemical embrace.
At this point, it would be churlish not to applaud. Perhaps we’ve f…
