Before drugs, he had it all — two kids, a family and a loving home — but one meth user says he gave it all up for drugs.
“Before this meth we were a family and I left for drugs. I chose drugs over my family,” the man said to Global News on condition of anonymity. For the story we’re calling him Tom.
“Ever since I started shooting up, that’s when my life went to hell.”
Tom said he lives for the high.
“I do wish that I could get off it, but it’s my inner demons that say ‘I want more, I want more, I want more.'”
He’s worried he’s going to commit a crime to get money to fuel the addiction.
“I’m slowly, probably going to end up at that point where I’m actually going to do a robbery, you know? And I don’t want that. It’s just my inner demons. It’s the meth talking,” he said. “You depend on it and if you don’t get it you’re going to die.”
The city’s Police Chief Danny Smyth said the crime problem is fuelled by drugs.
“One third of all homicides in 2017 were the direct result of illicit drugs playing an integral role in the crime. More break-ins, home invasions, and robberies have occurred because of that as well,” Smyth said Monday.
WATCH: Winnipeg police say meth crisis is directly related to increased property crime
Marion Willis from the St. Boniface Street Links says there needs to be more resources funnelled to curbing addictions.
“We’re all without resources here and it’s every citizen in this province that pays the price. This is a government that doesn’t seem to understand that the economic health of the province is clearly linked to the social health of the people,” she said.
In a joint statement, Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen and Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said their government has put forward money to fund initiatives fighting drugs and crime in the province.
“We are working to help people deal with their addictions while stopping drug traffickers from distributing meth and opiates on our streets. There is plenty more work left to do, but we are confident our proactive initiatives will make Manitoba’s communities safer,” the statement said.