While they may mean the same thing to an ordinary person, housing and shelter are more different than they originally seem. Housing provides people experiencing homelessness agency and stability; they are mostly free to do what they please. Shelters, on the other hand, are “soft incarceration”. Some shelters prohibit people from owning certain items, and many turn away people they deem unfit, like substance abusers, or those with children or pets. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
