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 their front door. 

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

She could have lashed out in anger. Instead, she extended an olive branch by penning an open letter on Facebook to the anonymous writer of the flyer, ending with an invitation to meet the unknown person for coffee. 

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

'They are just like all of us'

Davis is the founder of the Calgary not-for-profit Changing 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 people living 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 prescribed Percocet. 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's Facebook post received 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 they were able to put their feelings aside 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 facility will be held Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Community Hall.

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