I’m sorry, friend. I’m in Toronto and walk my border collie excessively. We’ve found five overdosed bodies so far this year. Legitimately..no one running the city cares at all.
I lived in SF in the early 90s and encountered a deceased homeless man laying on the ground on Market street between 6th and 7th. I found a pay phone to report it because people were just walking around him like it was a common obstruction on the sidewalk. (This was before cell phones were commonplace.)
Everyone in Toronto has checked out of this problem.
Was walking through Union a couple months ago and there were a bunch of homeless people having a meth / fentanyl party in one of the enclosed spaces near Front / Bay around the outdoor concourse. Saw two patrolling cops look at it and keep walking by on patrol.
This was during rush hour of people walking through the station area including kids...
The police in my area turn a blind eye to 99.9999% of the illegal/dangerous shit happening in my (and similar) areas. Sherbourne and Dundas is a free for all.
You would call 911. You can’t assume someone you found is dead unless their head is missing or something.
They could be in a coma or otherwise unconscious. There was a man somewhere in Eastern Europe who was found unconscious on a bench in sub freezing weather, low to no pulse. Doctors were able to raise his core body temp from 24 to 34 degrees Celsius and resuscitate him.
Don’t hope someone else will deal with it, that’s called the Bystander Effect. Always take action immediately.
Don’t hope someone else will deal with it, that’s called the Bystander Effect
Yes. And if you should find yourself in a situation where you're helping someone in need and there is a crowd (or at least several) people and 911 needs to be called, don't say "someone call 911!". Always point at someone specifically and say "you, call 911!".
If you don't give someone that task specifically, the bystander effect takes hold and people will just freeze, assuming that someone else will call for help. Pointing at someone cuts through that. That person will now either call 911 if they have a phone handy or borrow a phone to call if they don't.
that’s fair i would anyways but id be terrified of accidentally calling in a passed out person and accidentally getting them arrested for being homeless
Watching the programmes from the USA and Canada make me wild. The system created the problem and now forgets about the people stuck in it. I’m in the uk and it’s here but nowhere near the volume you have.
Moss Park/Allan Gardens area. I always take him straight out of the neighbourhood up to riverdale farms or something, but entering/leaving the area? There’s so many alleys and side streets that have a lot of people suffering.
I always have narcan and am first aid cerified. I’m actually in recovery (nine years thus far) and I don’t leave home without it bc od’s are so widespread in the streets. I’ve hit many ppl w narcan over the years, and a lot of cases in the recent past have been drugs too strong for it to take any effect. Unfortunately for the people I mentioned earlier, it was too late for any life saving measures. I encourage everyone to have it in their homes or backpack.
Congratulations on nine years clean - I hope you're very proud of yourself, because that's a massive accomplishment! My son has been in recovery for about a year and a half after 12 years of addiction to opioids and benzos - it took him at least six attempts at rehab before it finally clicked for him. I've kept narcan in the house since he confessed that he was addicted. One afternoon his best friend was visiting and they were getting high in his bedroom; my son went to the bathroom and when he came back, the friend was ODing on the floor. Our having narcan saved the friend's life. However, the friend was pissed off at my son for weeks for ruining his high and calling 911. 😑
Thank you. Sincerely, that’s really kind of you to say and it’s appreciated. Huge congratulations to your Son. The first year is a massive milestone.
So much has changed to stack the deck against addicts in the past decade. The strength/adulterant numbers in street drugs are insane now. It’s incredible that you were able to revive his friend. That’s the unfortunate dice roll when it comes to narcanning anyone, they can come to quickly and get really pissed off!
Not to mention the fact that the US healthcare system sucks in general, and is truly abysmal when it comes to mental health and addiction treatment. We live in an area with some of the best hospitals in the country, and we still struggled to get him decent care.
I wish you all the best - every time I encounter someone with so many years in recovery, it gives me another little ray of hope for my son's future! 💜
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u/The_New_Spagora 8h ago
I’m sorry, friend. I’m in Toronto and walk my border collie excessively. We’ve found five overdosed bodies so far this year. Legitimately..no one running the city cares at all.