If you laid eyes on Simionie Kunnuk, a small, gentle older man with a fetching gap-toothed smile, you probably wouldn't think, "Now, there's a guy who used to have 300 run-ins with the police every year." However, in 2007, Kunnuk spent his time chugging malt liquor, urinating in public, sleeping wherever, and screaming at passing white people—his personal revenge for Canada's horrific treatment of him and other indigenous people. More nights than not, these antics landed him in the drunk tank, the hospital, or wherever else the police carted him off to.
Now, Kunnuk's life is very different. He doesn't have any casual run-ins with the police, and is an impressive force in his Inuit community in Ottawa, Canada. One of his main missions is to find other addicts in need of treatment by holding traditional Inuit feasts, during which he offers them companionship and counsel. So what's the secret to his recovery from the consequences of severe alcoholism? Alcohol. The government gives Kunnuk alcohol.
Kunnuk is a resident of The Oaks, a managed alcohol program based in Ottawa. As the name indicates, managed alcohol programs, or MAPs, are treatment facilities that provide homeless alcoholics with housing and small amounts of booze. Every hour, the staff provides the residents with a glass of wine, the volume of which is tailored to their individual needs. The clients don't get drunk, or anything close to it—they simply retain a manageable buzz, enough to stave off withdrawals and intense cravings.
[For more on this story by SASHA CHAPIN, go to https://psmag.com/magazine/alcohol-for-alcoholics]
Comments (0)