Conversation over confrontation: Advocate fights fear of addiction centre with cup of coffee

Rosalind Davis was visiting her parents in Windsor Park when a flyer calling recovering addicts and alcoholics "potentially dangerous" and bad for property values was dropped at theirfront door.

The wording on the flyer upset Davis and hit close to home. Her partner, Nathan Huggins-Rosenthal, died of afentanyloverdose.

Shecould have lashed out in anger. Instead, she extended an olive branch by penning an open letter on Facebookto the anonymous writer of the flyer, endingwith an invitation to meet the unknown person for coffee.

The flyer dropped at her parents' front door waswritten in response to a proposal for a treatment home for recovering alcoholics and addicts in the Windsor Parkneighbourhood.

'They are just like all of us'

Davis is thefounder of the Calgary not-for-profitChanging the Face of Addiction.It's become her quest to help people understand how pervasive addiction is and that people should not be ashamed of it.

The flyer, Davis said, painted an inaccurate and unfair picture of people with addictions.

It was a "characterization of people with substance abuse disorders as potentially dangerous and devaluing property. That language is incredibly hurtful and it perpetuates stigma," Davis told the Calgary Eyeopener on Tuesday.

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She says there are peopleliving in our communities, friends and neighbours hiding in shame with drug and alcohol addictions. She and Nathan hid too, she says.

"They are just like all of us; there is nothing to fear," she said.

Davis's partner was a stockbroker and after injuring his back was prescribedPercocet. He eventually became addicted to pain medication.

Davis describes Nathan as someone everyone liked. "He was intelligent and kind and funny and gentle. But I would never want anyone to define him as just an addict. Nathan was an amazing man who had an addiction."

Meeting in the middle

Davis'sFacebookpostreceived wide support and the anonymous letter writer agreed to meet her for coffee this week.

"She is lovely and I believe her intentions were good. She apologized for the language she used."

It was fear that caused "a knee-jerk reaction to a topic she isn't familiar with."

Davis said during their coffee meeting theywereable to put their feelingsaside and look at the topic objectively.

"She was very willing to discussing her concerns and open to hearing what I had to say."

A public engagement session on the proposed facilitywill be held Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Community Hall.

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