By chance I came across an article in CMAJ by Deborah Jones1 that misrepresented the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver in such an irresponsible way that I felt obliged to write even though the article was printed some time ago. An article with questionable research that demonizes Vancouver's oldest community and its diverse population of residents, most of whom are law abiding, does not reflect favourably on a medical journal dedicated to healing.
Jones suggests that some 7000 injection drug users live in the Downtown Eastside. This figure is wrong; many drug users come from outside the community to use the needle exchange. The Vancouver Injection Drug Users' Study (VIDUS; cfeweb.hivnet.ubc.ca), involving 1300 injection drug users over 4 years, reported that 68% of them live outside the Downtown Eastside.
Jones also states that the Downtown Eastside has a "fluctuating population of 10 000 to 25 000 people." Most community leaders that I talked to agree that the population is from 10 000 to 12 000 if the single family homes in Strathcona are not counted, and from 15 000 to 16 000 if they are. All community leaders agree that the Downtown Eastside has a stable population base. Even residents who move from hotel room to hotel room often do not move out of the neighbourhood.
To label an entire community as "Skid Road" devalues both the local residents and their neighbourhood. When the only thing the media can see is the skid-row image, they cannot see the caring community that exists behind that negative facçade.
The article carries an implied tone of contempt for some of the most ill and powerless people in our society and depicts local residents as losers with no redeeming qualities. Without doubt, contempt is the opposite of attention. One thing many residents have in common is poverty, and they live in that stressful condition with a dignity and caring that gives the neighbourhood surprising strength.
I am sure readers would agree with the Downtown Eastside woman who said, "I need to connect with someone who believes in me and helps me believe in myself."2