Homeless Shelter serving beer

[Karlin]

toronto's homeless have another option - a shelter that serves one beer an hour.

Its like a safe injection site for drug addicts. but for alcoholic homeless people.

The way we have been doing it is to say
"are you an alcoholic? Then no booze where you live"
- how dumb is that? Of course they won't live there, thats why they become homeless.

When an opiate addict goes to de-tox, the one thing they cannot have is opiates. That means doing cold turkey withdrawals, which is why more don't go there to quit.

They try to do a reduction on their own, which fails.... they need a place to go where they can reduce their doseage and then quit, but none of our de-tox centres do that. Its dumb, they treat people like they are dumb animals and then ask why they are not getting better.


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[Jay]

Well, there is a big Molsen factory in Toronto...they should be able to get lots of cheap beer.

 

[bhoour]

Its dumb, they treat people like they are dumb animals and then ask why they are not getting better.

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I agree......
It's fine to treat an addiction, but there are tons of psychological lissues that also need to be addressed in the recovery process. To teach people to set goals/limitations for themselves is huge. Their lives are out of control, and everything about them has to be restructured one piece at a time.

We have methadone..........what's a bit of beer?

:beer:

 

[Cosmo]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

Can't see it being any assistance toward sobriety or recovery, but definitely is a step toward comfort. Seems to me lots of the street people -- particularly where it's that cold! -- have a need for a little comfort. If it's beer, so be it.

Your point about methodone is a good one, Bhoour. That's a maintenance program as well, not a recovery program. Not everyone is interested in abstinence and, to be honest, I believe it's their choice. Personally, I've been sober a long time and know it's not that easy ... and I didn't have the challenges of being homeless when I went into recovery and don't know if I would have made it if I were in that situation.

Sometimes helping people really is giving them what they most want ... even when it might not be politically correct, imho.

 

[bhoour]

:wink:

 

[Jo Canadian]

I don't think 1 beer an hour would do much anyways to placate the need to get high...because you can't, especially if you're already a hard core Alkee-Holic. Because of that, I don't see the need to compare it to a safe injection site, however the nutritional value the beer would provide an individual a boost to their health, due to their diet from living on the streets.

 

[Toro]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I hope they're serving good beer, like Creemore Springs or Upper Canada or maybe Big Rock. I think its patently unfair to the homeless to force cooking beer like Molson and Labatts onto the homeless.

 

[Suzique39]

Re: RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I hope they're serving good beer, like Creemore Springs or Upper Canada or maybe Big Rock. I think its patently unfair to the homeless to force cooking beer like Molson and Labatts onto the homeless.

Home brew both wine and beer is what they are serving. Funny part of it is that the program says that it is helping that the hard core alcoholics are actually drinking less. Hell theres a good reason for that, ever taste home brew?

 

[FiveParadox]

The Taste of Beer

In my opinion, beer tastes ... uh, kinda gross, really. Heh, not to my liking in the least. I never have understood how people can watch "the game" while they chug back a few; I'd be "upchucking" a few only moments later. :lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

Positive Effects of Granting Alcohol

According to Dr. Jeff Turnbull, the medical director of the shelter-in-question:

(a) The program's participants who drank approximately forty-six drinks per day, before the launch of the program, have cut down to eight drinks per day;

(b) The number of visits to the emergency room as a result of alcohol has decreased by thirty-six percent; and

(c) The number of negative encounters with law enforcement officials has decreased by more than one-half.

Having read this information, I am overwhelmingly in favour of the continuation, and the expansion, of this program. Click here for a link to the article which cited this information, on CBC News (please note that Web links can change without notice).

 

[Summer]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I've actually had some pretty good home brewed beers and wines.

 

[Said1]

Re: RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I hope they're serving good beer, like Creemore Springs or Upper Canada or maybe Big Rock. I think its patently unfair to the homeless to force cooking beer like Molson and Labatts onto the homeless.

Hey now, Rickards Red is pretty good on tap!

 

[Toro]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

Home made wine?

Good Lord.

Only after all the tequila's gone.

 

[Summer]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

Ugh, I can't stand tequila. And the feeling appears to be mutual, as it doesn't treat me very well, either.

Gimme the homemade wine and beer any day.

 

[Nascar_James]

I see nothing wrong with an occassional beer at the homeless shelter. The key word here is "moderation".

In Europe, for many countries beer is as common as water. I know several businesses in Europe that provide beer on tap for it's employees while having lunch within the company cafeteria.

 

[Toro]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I once had an employer that provided beer on tap for all of us.

But then again, I worked for a beer company.

 

[Nascar_James]

Re: RE: Homeless Shelter serv

I once had an employer that provided beer on tap for all of us.

But then again, I worked for a beer company.

Why in blue blazes did you ever quit this terrific job? You were permitted to consume beer at work. I could think of a few individuals who would gladly volunteer for such a job.

 

[Toro]

RE: Homeless Shelter serv

'Cause half the guys had liver damage and the other half were divorced.

Of course, it was fun having 9000 cases of beer to distribute.

 

[Cosmo]

Re: RE: Homeless Shelter serv

Ugh, I can't stand tequila. And the feeling appears to be mutual, as it doesn't treat me very well, either.

Gimme the homemade wine and beer any day.

OMG ... I used to climb up on the porch and howl like a rabid wolf when I drank homemade wine! Loved the stuff ... but it didn't do a lot for my social life. 8O

mmmm ... tequila! Used to even eat the worm!

Now they have all these weird drinks ... I haven't indulged for 17 years so I missed out on a lot!

 

[JomZ]

mmmm ... tequila! Used to even eat the worm!

Tsk, tsk, Cosmo tequila does not have a worm in it, that is Mezcal.

Similar drink but Tequila is made a bit differently