Substances: A place in the community also belongs to those with substance abuse problems

Sustainable solutions for substance abuse problems cannot be achieved by isolating individuals from their communities. This perspective, presented as a reader's opinion in Helsingin Sanomat, challenges the common approach of focusing on where people with addiction should not be, instead urging a focus on how to reintegrate them into society.

The author, Tuomas Koivisto, a development coordinator, posits that pushing individuals further away due to their substance use issues paradoxically creates the very problems society tries to prevent. When a person feels disconnected from their community, their motivation to adhere to social norms diminishes. This alienation can exacerbate difficulties and hinder recovery efforts.

Koivisto highlights findings from a survey where individuals with substance use issues identified children's safety as a significant concern. This underscores that addiction does not erase fundamental human values or worries. Despite challenging life circumstances and sometimes problematic behavior, these individuals often share common concerns, hopes, and values with others.

The article suggests that substance abuse often stems from complex factors like childhood trauma, unstable upbringing, mental health challenges, marginalization, and feelings of exclusion. It is rarely a conscious choice but rather a coping mechanism that evolves into a problem over time. The author points to the Kurvi area in Helsinki as an example of a different approach, where efforts are underway to increase community cohesion by bringing together various stakeholders, residents, and individuals present in the area to create a safer and more pleasant environment.

While acknowledging that experiences of unsafety and disturbances related to substance use should not be dismissed, the article questions whether exclusion or inclusion offers the most sustainable solution. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of asking not where individuals with substance problems should not be, but rather how they can be brought back into the community.