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Letter: Not liking mobile OD unit

Concern for what we have invited to our streets to offer people with mental illness, addiction
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The outside of a Mobile Medical Unit is pictured in Vancouver’s downtown eastside on Dec. 12, 2016. - Image THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

To the editor:

I grew up in Kelowna and have lived here for roughly half my life. Having traveled extensively I’ve seen so many cities and towns. I would like to express my concern for what we have recently invited to drive through our streets to offer people with mental illness and addiction problems.

Yes we have all heard there is a free injection vehicle offering people the chance to get your fix, all in a safe, monitored convenient vehicle, that I suspect travels around because no one wants these people once they are done getting high in their neighbourhood. Well what about the unsuspecting person who is not high runs into someone who is baked and has mental health issues, what then?

I was out behind the Ok. Builders on Ethel one month ago when I came across a woman unconscious laying on her back having a very hard time breathing. I tried to help. When she stopped breathing, I began to give her CPR when out of nowhere I was violently attacked.

Luckily a person was passing through the alley in his truck and rushed to my aid. The ambulance arrived to help the woman, who during the commotion began breathing again, the attacker had run off and I was left to fend for myself. I’ve told myself and family to not do what I did as these drug addicts are unstable and way too many bad things could happen to the unsuspecting person. It’s a real shame we are going to think this mobile safe injection site will help, it’s going to get a lot worse

Mike Twack, Kelowna