Our focus is on really being there for people. I'll say it again, there are reasons why people use. We want to talk about drugs, with a focus on stopping drug use.
People use for a number of reasons. However, some people don't have a social safety net, a family network or a guaranteed income. They might not have much schooling. Therefore, multiple approaches are needed to address these diverse needs. People sometimes need to feel heard and to be supported. They need access to services tailored to their reality, to organizations that can provide them with good support and advice.
This work is needed. There are multiple realities that have to be considered. We talked about repression and other similar approaches. I can tell you that we have established collaborative ties with various community stakeholders in Montreal, including police forces. Some police officers prefer to accompany people they encounter on the street to a supervised consumption site or a community organization. They know that people will receive services and that they will be listened to and supported.
Some people will feel comfortable going to supervised consumption sites. Others will prefer to go to detoxification centres. Some will decide to stop using.
So we have to take a number of realities into account and be able to offer a variety of services. We also need to structure our intervention services.