I have studied the health issues that Canadian Tax Girl references in labs and in the clinic. Heart disease and cancer, in some instances, can very much be self-inflicted through poor choices in diet or lifestyle. I am NOT for one second suggesting that means we should withhold compassion or avoid caring for these people (or that I always make good diet and lifestyle choices myself!). This is not a shot at those people.

But when it comes to those addicted to drug in Vancouver's DTES, MANY of them are people with significant mental health issues that existed long before they had drug habits. Mental illness is just like any other illnesses: it requires care and medicine, not blame. We have done a poor job of caring for this population and the rampant drug use in the DTES is in part a result of this. If you don't believe me, I urge you to spend some time in that community and see it for yourself.