Thank you all so much for helping Antonio and Lost Soul reach their goal in less than 3 hours! The Gubbio Project, headed by Lydia Bransten (featured in the video), could also use your donations. Unlike most Harm Reduction Facilities in SF, which are funded by contracts with the California Department of Public Health, The Gubbio Project functions on a completely donation-based model. I'm going to donate there as well. If you are able, I'd also suggest doing so! www.thegubbioproject.org/donate
We love the Gubbio Project and Lost Souls Courier/Antonio! Some of the best people in San Francisco right there. So grateful for this piece capturing the reality of the situation. With compassion, finally. These people are heroes in the face of so much hate and adversity.
no other civilized country gives so many drugs to drug addicts, but instead food, apartments and away from drugs. andrew chooses a whack job like richy to represent the ‘other side’ European/Scandanavian progressives > american conservatives > San Fran progressives. as soon as SF accepts that they have a problem, the sooner they can get help they need
and people would rather watch rage bate and listen to mfers like that instead of the real ones. Nuance is lost on the majority of Americans and that's our biggest problem
Absolutely too real, my father overdosed when I was twelve, I really felt it when he said “is it something that I did? Did he choose the drugs over me?”
That last guy Antonio had me crying. Too fucking real. He turned huge suffering and pain into a positive force that is saving people lives everyday. Pure courage, resilience and compassion.
You were crying like laughing about it? That’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard on here, it’s a very serious topic. How does this comment even have likes
Antonio is a hero man. People like him are exactly why harm reduction is important. You give people a chance to succeed and they can leave the world in a better place.
The problem is it’s not working. Dare didn’t work but harm reduction definitely isn’t working either. And you can feel bad for the users and still be against what’s going on right now
I did promise to stop smoking cigarrets this year. I was postponing (it's 22th Jan), but watching this great piece of story made me do it today. Threw my vape and malboro pack away. Awesome work Andrew. And wish me luck on my day 0.
@@mickyosully4592 ? no lol, its just that the amount of "L takes" someone like you can have is astounding. I must be right if you decided to give me that dumb answer
Antonio really clears the fog around how useless Ricci is. Antonio has stories to back who he's helped, Ricci has only helped himself and brought more pain. Thank you Channel 5 team, you truly moved me.
I'm not to Antonio's part yet, but Ricci does a good job of showing he's a piece of shit himself. I've been in recovery. Sometimes I saw people like him made it a year, but he'll be back at it soon. Edit: I see what you mean.
Even more pathetic how Ricci used his trauma to get him out of sketchy situations, while continuing to act like a dick. I don't have a single doubt that he could be a rat too.
hell yeah. at the end of the day i come down with Antonio. But at the same time i respect all the folks who watch fox news and find themselves agreeing with ricci. they also want the best for this country. im fine with those contradictions. i feel for everyone. this hurts to watch, or you're fucked.
@@user-cv2ll1dn9l Ricci and the people that watch fox news don't want what's best for our country though. They oppose harm reduction and support the drug war, which we know results in more death and addiction as proven by the last 5 decades.
As someone who volunteered with the Syringe Access Services (SAS) program in SF for 5 years I can absolutely vouch for the impact of small interactions of dignity with their clients. As he said, no one wakes up and thinks they’ll go down to a harm reduction clinic and slam fent in their veins. The people who work and volunteer are consistently the most compassionate people I’ve ever been around and it shows you how kind people can be in otherwise unlivable circumstances. Thank you Andrew and team for spotlighting these groups and sharing some additional nuance of this very complex challenge we are experiencing as a society.
dude drug addiction is not a choice. no one chooses to go down that path, but what someone needs most after going down that path is compassion and people who actually see them as human @@Musicdudeyoutub
@jhtv5757 thank you for your support. I almost cried when I heard him talk, he truly is a real one, and so are you for supporting. Don't know him personally but I could feel his pain being an addict myself.
Those nonprofits are just scamming money from the city. Handing out paraphernalia and narcan just keeps the problem going anyway. It's like trying to stop diabetes by handing out napkins and insulin at pizza hut.
Less than 3 hours of the video being out and the fundraiser for Lost Soul being passed 50k already is insane. Andrew you truly are too great for this world!
50k to enable jonkies who don't care about themselves or anybody around them. GREAT... Now let's raise some money for people who were born with diabetes. They don't get FREE insulin and back rubs. How backwards can Commiefornia get?
Thank you for all you do, Lydia. As somebody who has had an entire family hooked on fentanyl and a brother who was killed by fentanyl, I really appreciate your approach to harm reduction. People nowadays tend to forget that these people are sick and have a disease and are worthy of help. They are not monsters.
Agreed. Also what she had to say about Richie is hard fact lol. I'm glad she's trying to protect her community. Shame does not work! The fact he follows up "they're trying to prevent people spreading HIV" with "at what cost?" bro...
@@Elandgolalright, you’re making it easy now. We have medicine that makes hiv treatment an easy process if you’re a responsible adult and go to the doctors, which these kinds of people obviously aren’t. So yeah, at the cost of providing hundreds of thousands of drug addicts with supplies for years as well as spending millions of tax payers money that could be going to, idk KIDS, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing huh? And lastly, shame does obviously work lol. These unfortunate idiots just disregarded the shame the first time they tired heroine and failed their families and kept going, why would shame all of a sudden work now? They won’t get help until they want to or they’re arrested and forced into sobriety.
“I don’t think being abstinent should be a requisite for whether you live or die”. That’s some powerful stuff. Hope Antonio manages to keep doing his work.
You can tell how much Antonio appreciated having a platform and telling his story. I am crying watching the gofundme link go up and up past the goal in just 3 hours. I am so thankful people like this community exist. Hope for the world.
Hope that people donate for all those who cant afford insulin while junkies, who choose to mess themselves up, get everything handed to them with a free back rub. Damn. Commiefornia is very backwards.
Before hearing Antonios story i was torn on whether harm reduction really was the way to go about it or not. Two sentenced from that man really shifted my perspective, "Being absent shouldn't be a requisite of whether you live or die" and "dead people cannot recover". Can't believe I was doubting myself before hearing those words.
I did come in here thinking this harm reduction program didn't sound great, but learning about the Tenderloin center convinced me that these programs have real value. Sad to hear it had to close down. I would've liked to see it in SoCal (Santa Ana) where I'm originally from.
Being 11 years sober the Antonio story made me cry. The line is so thin, and once you've walked it, there's no way of ever forgetting about it. You've come a long way from your previous channel Andrew! Thanks for showing the world
yep andrew is a great guy and makes great videos. just make sure to never drink alcohol alone with andrew if you are a female. other than that, great guy! thanks!!
Antonio understands both sides. He is amazing at not only analyzing a situation objectively, but injecting his truth and his heart into every word he says.
That narcan delivery service guy was so real, so caring. Driven by his heart and all the people in it, I’m so glad they reached their goal! Don’t stop what you’re doing channel 5! You probably saved so many lives with this series. Thank you!!
I'm the homeless guy giving the guy the finger at about 20 mins in. I'm no longer homeless and work full time. I ended up breaking my leg while boosting and came back to Memphis. The harm reduction people in that city are earth angels just trying to help people, some of whom are at their lowest point in life. The Hondos aren't the problem, the homeless aren't the problem. A lack of care and compassion in our society is the problem. I worked for the Hondos at one point ( took about a year of them seeing me on the street and knowing that I was actually homeless and not a cop for them to let me be a holder) and they are good, decent, and hard working people.
so you were from memphis originally and came to san francisco to be a homeless drug-addicted thief. do you see why there might not be a lot of care and compassion for that? and the hondos who come to the country illegally to sell illegal drugs that kill people are just good, decent hard-workers. c'mon man, get real. good job getting your life on track, but this take is ridiculous.
I am crying listening to Antonio so articulate while he's so clearly triggered and remembering the hard stuff. Thank you for interviewing him and including this. I used to do meth, cocaine , mdma and still drink too much for what is healthy due to trauma. Now I am a homeless housing worker and help people at a shelter, this is my passion. Andrew your work is so important, thanks for this video ❤
Antonio reminds me alot of myself and my motivation behind working with a local non-profit in my community and committing my life to helping the homeless, mentally ill and substance users in any way i can without bias, prejudice or judgement. My parents were both meth addicts and I watch the majority of my family be consumed by addiction. I've watched friends die from it and have witnessed countless lives torn apart by it. My father was homeless for 25 years in an area called the River Bottom where I live and, though I would visit as a kidsometimes, we could barely have a coherent conversation and he vaguely recognized me. I feel his passion deeply, and hope that he continues to push on and help others.
Without "Harm reduction" I would be dead. Just like my cousin who died last x-mas day. I was on the edge and my mom came to me crying begging me to quit. And idk why that time felt.... Right to quit. And I did. been sober 2 years now. The suboxone clinic saved me.
@@ReggaeRedeemer Dude. I just lost respect for this so-called "reporter" for begging for money for people to enable drug users. Don't respect any of these peoples opinions as they are enablers who enjoy destroying people around them who actually work and try to make an honest living.
@@ReggaeRedeemer bringing a real nuanced view to the things I see and work with on a daily basis. So many people choose to block out the messier aspects of life, but Andrew humanizes them and puts them into the spotlight. He does these things justice.
We had these things in Europe for decades. They work, streets are cleaner, less deaths and diseases and overtime we actually reduced heroin use big time by also providing rehab and mental healthcare for people who are willing to change.
@@DontBeBrainwashedyeah the stupid mf with blue glasses and round face said without blinking that they have a plan for rehab...she takes them personally in her car if they want...what a absolutely liar
@@killercuddles7051He’s out there saving lives, so that people just like him can find sobriety and turn into a good citizen. Saving someone’s life is not enabling them. He’s not telling them to get high. He’s not giving them drugs. He’s turning a drug overdose from a $20,000 tax payer bill, into a bike ride. Instead of an ambulance coming and taking them to hospital, he’s fixing it right there. If they die it’s another few grand in tax payer money. I guarantee you he sleeps beautifully
As a foreigner having studied in an American school, your journalism offers an incredibly important and objective perspective on the realities of American society. I really appreciate your work. I just find it sad that the humanity of the victims of this society NEEDS to be shown and almost “proven” over and over again for things to change.
Yeah, just beware that Channel 5 is absolutely not objective and often leans left when most convenient. His videos are often edited in a way that give leftists ample time to explain their positions and viewpoints, while openly mocking the rural/right leaning person and only using small segments of them speaking. He also is constantly pointing out hypocrisy in the media "BUT ITS ONLY RIGHT WING NEWS DEFINITELY NOT LEFT WING MEDIA THEY ARE THE GOOD GUYS" Oh and he raped someone and completely lost credibility if you ask me.
That’s why “America is the best country” is so far from the truth. Most don’t realize when u base a country/culture on money & “freedom” it allows the gov to do near infinite terrible things to their civilians & EASILY pay to sweep under the rug. Spin it around in the media then focus YOUR mind on something else & forget. Just to repeat over & over to infinity… it’s clear Americans want to be manipulated
Yeah, just threw in a few for Antonio. 196k of 50k raised, SO FAR! I love that Andrew is linking ways we can help. Do that more! You're the best, most real ass journalist out here! GONZO GANG, BABY! LET'S GO!
I just visited the gofundme to see that the amount received from donations was twice what he was asking for. I legit teared up. Thank you Andrew and all the people who donated. People don't deserve to die because they're an addict.
They do that on purpose. They ask for half the amount they expect and then everyone feels good and gives even more. I am all for this cause but you should know about these tricks when they’re used elsewhere
@@ganglestankexcept he's clearly an overly honest dude thats just trying to save lives. No surprise at all people want to help. What's your motivation for suggesting he's manipulating donations? Seems like a bit of a dick move for someone who supports his cause.
@@ganglestank Your basing that on pure speculation and nothing else. Also the amount being asked for means nothing if the cause is good, people are gonna give what they are gonna give.
I can’t watch Antonio’s segment without tearing up. Andrew’s solicitation at the end makes me feel Antonio changed him too. World is fucked up, but sometimes we get drops of something pure and beautiful.
Thank you so much for posting this video. The young man that spoke at the end, just absolutely gripped my heart and soul with his words, I’ve lived most of my life feeling like pretty much everybody is better than me, today was one of those days for me bro, and I needed to hear that. Thank you! Bless you.
As a man who has had a drug addicted father for his whole life, and a now-sober mother, I agree that it is important for children to see the more disturbing aspects of drug use. Seeing the way it completely changed my parents when they were high and made them seem like soulless husks, especially in my formative years, truly stuck with me, and is one of the many reasons I'm against hard drug use.
@MagorzataDuszak it's about acceptance of stuff that society has outcasted and bringing humanity to those minority groups who need it the most, I'm just saying if you don't have a intersectional approach to helping all of us putting our best foot forward we should be thinking about everyone not just one group but I absolutely love the reporting Andrew is doing here and can't wait to see more
TH-cam mutes parts of videos if there’s a copyright claim on the audio. But channel5 spliced together a bunch of footage so it should definitely be considered fair use here. So frustrating when youtube does this…
Antonio has my respect big time. I lost my dad when I was 3 and my grandpa when I was 12. Other setbacks after that. Grandma and mother both turned to morphine to grief, I turned to other things at a later age. Luckily I met some good people in my life, otherwise I wouldn't be here either, it's very easy to turn to drugs after a childhood like that or other traumas. This dude gets it perfectly, hope he stays clean. This happens everywhere, be it a small township or huge city. Harm reduction should be available everywhere.
Channel 5 has been very instrumental is helping my family understand actual things happening between people that isn't the news cutting in and cutting away from people they interview, thanks for the coverage man, it's helping more than most may think.
"I don't think being abstinent should be a requisite of whether you live or die" is the greatest quote I've heard from someone on this issue. Keep pushing your truth Antonio!
@@ObreyskiI've managed to take a bunch of drugs in my life and not get addicted to fentanyl, so yea self regulation works, it's not easy but you need to self regulate to get clean and change anyway
Yeah bc you never when a broken can turn into a heroin addiction and it’s sad. I have talked to a lot of addicts when a relative of mine was in NA it’s too real how fast you can lose people.
That man at the end was speaking straight facts and i felt every word he was saying i can relate to his story so much and I wanna send love his way and every other person going through anything similar. We all need to reach out with a helping hand and give people the opportunity to get clean Im currently looking into a program at my local uni to start helping people with their addictions and this disease that is spreading not only through our country but around the whole world and i respect what hes doing
I love when Andrew interviews people of opposing sides and states their points to each other. Sometimes it's almost spooky, I can't figure out which interview he did first because they both refer to each other. The way he embodies his interviewees to each other is legendary
Dude, I fucking love you so much… I watched this series in the past and just stumbled upon it again today and it made me cry just as hard as the first time. You are genuinely a kind soul and have such valiant honorable and decent character. Thank you so much for showing people the real ugly no frills truth. I wish we could clone you. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that you continue to grow and grow and continue to spread that basic once-upon-a-time-common-sense-bare-minimum, respect we should all be showing one another... We need to get back that clearly forgotten human to human decency, regardless of class, gender, skin color, or literally any other method of identification or categorization, or any measure, or means of division or judgement. If you haven't already, would you please consider running for Congress?! Our country needs you in government. You would be so valuable and you are the caliber of Citizen that we need and deserve to have representing us in Washington DC or even at a local level.
They have started Narcan distribution services where I live in Columbus, OH. I decided, “Why Not?”, never expecting to use it. I witnessed an OD and fortunately had Narcan in my car. It is absolutely important that these facilities stay open. Thank you Andrew and Channel 5 for sharing this important, honest, and in-depth information on the opioid epidemic.
This is exactly why I grabbed a box when I saw it available for anyone in some of those bins they sell newspapers from. Hope I’ll never use it, but we got some folks that “go camping” in my area sometimes and you never know. The worst thing someone can do is shove a camera in someone else’s face and yell at them. You’re not even having a conversation at that point, you’re not interested in helping, you’re just treating them like a bug that’s in your way.
People think differently. Help is for the weak and there is way to much now. Everyone wants people to feel sorry for them and it sometimes doesn’t help at all to have people pat you on the back and say it’s okay
Antonio Chavez seems like a great guy and I'm sorry for all he's had to go through. I like when he says "How human we all are." it's a good reminder that nobody is exempt from hardship or recovery. We're all fighting battles.
Man I really love how you let everyone speak uncensored and piece together your thoughts after the interview and basically let the viewer form their own opinion and thoughts. This is the best journalism left in America
This was a very moving video. Human emotion and struggle, so beautifully and pure, captured on video. I really appreciate the content you make, thank you! ❤
"How human we all are." What an insanely powerful quote from Antonio. What an unbelievably amazing organization to support. Incredibly happy to see the goal has already been reached, but more than happy to add even more support to that 🙏
I'd likely have lost a limb or otherwise be an invalid right now if it wasn't for these facilities. No telling if I'd even be alive. Instead of running around homeless on the streets, I'm concentrating on growing my belly in my own home. I've heard some gnarly and sad tales from older addicts who didn't have access to such support. It might seem like fighting fire with a squirt gun, but the effects are huge. Not just for addicts themselves, but everyone around them. I had to stop watching after 15 minutes. I don't want to go to bed angry and sad. Addiction is a sickness of the whole community. Not taking care of the less fortunate, is like letting your finger rot and fall off instead of taking care of a wound.
Please tell me how Andrew can make better journalistic stories than billion dollar media companies? Our world is crazy. Don't stop doing your thing Channel 5 and Andrew
Its because those companies only care about those billion dollars. I'm sure Andrew also makes some money but a man's got to eat, but a multi billion media companies is just pure greed and a mass manipulation tool. I would love to meet Andrew one day, he seems like a good guy.
It's because it's real and bold journalism, being there, talking to people on all sides getting the full picture. I sense very little political bias in Andrew, he's just there to learn and I sense that
Even a kid born in this century should know Vice News has been pumping out these types of stories that attack the failed war on drugs for over a decade and a half. If you had been born in the last century, you might know none of this is new. Despite the inet most people are still uneducated and ignorant af. Google first harm reduction programs, Diamorphinprogram, Dr. Marks of Merseyside Clinic, Dr. Nutt and Johann Hari, if you want to learn about addiction/dependancies from a scientific angle.
I really appreciate your content and how you let people talk. There’s alot of value in understanding other people’s perspective and the effect media coverage plays on society.
Thank you Andrew for this very well balanced interview on harm reduction in San Francisco. Best of luck to Antonio and Lost Souls project - you can tell he's been through so much...
Antonio's story needs to be pushed to everyone. How someone can overcome such hardship and pain and turn it into a positive force is truly something to show there is always hope and positivity even in the darkest journeys of life. Amazing the fundraiser almost reached it goal and it hasn't even been a week since it started I truly hope it helps these kind souls to keep doing what they are doing.
Well he didn't turn it into an overall positive. Besides internally, this man has just became an enabler for the same destructive behavior that ruined him emotionally.
Imagine having the same argument as seat belts prevent you from going faster😂 with the fact that y'all are making money off of giving people the same stuff to do drugs off of we might as well give Stoners bongs and pipes every week for free😂 should we might as well just give people who have liquor issues liquor for free😂 just because you act like you feel bad about it does it mean it makes you any more of a better person you're just as shity as you were before you wrote this comment❤
@@jeromeace1282 Is that what the free massages do? make less people die. I'd love a nice back rub on your dime, but you probably wouldn't want to pay for it because I have enough self respect that I don't do drugs in front of children.
This is so interesting watching as a Canadian. A strong argument we can use in Canada is it is cheaper as a taxpayer (by A LOT) to have harm reduction opportunities rather than have people require socialized healthcare services. As I was watching I was waiting for this argument but I remembered it’s in San Francisco.
No surprise. Studies on DARE concluded that participants were more likely to take drugs on completion. All the "just say no" campaigns had exactly the opposite effect to what was intended. .
As a recovering addict and someone who lost a close friend to an H overdose… I value Antonio so much. I am so glad he exists. If you’re reading this and still taking drugs and you feel caught up. You can heal. There is love for you. I hope you live on.
@@ShawnW-gk3wo I won’t pretend to know your struggle but I will say… visualize two paths for your future. There is one where you prosper and one where you don’t, you deserve the future where you prosper. Just take the first step.
@@alejandropardo6978 right on that's the plan for sure I'm still lucky enough to have a wife whom I love more than the habit so I'm gonna prosper thanks FR
This whole SF series was awesome. I was living in Nola during the quarter confession days, and now I’m here in SF. Being able the watch the evolution of your content through the years has been dope. Y’all are making some of the best content out there. Keep it up 🙌🏻
Andrew man you have been doing some amazing work here with covering the epidemic of drug addiction in America. I am an addict myself and have gone back n forth with the struggle and this disease needs more coverage like this. Shout out to Antonio and the life saving he does and I'm glad you were able to help save more lives with the funds raised. I think you really are hitting the torch on the globe trying the free the based thought of treating drug addicts like less than human. You are helping to shed the light on the disease and I say keep on going with this work. Maybe check out how so many sober living homes have been and are being shut down all across the states. Its messing up peoples recovery and caught up in the "sober living pyramid scheme" I am witnessing and hearing about from the heavy users who aren't high functioning like I am.... much love
antonio's story is heartbreaking but shows how important it is for these programs to exist.when people who are addicted to drugs die all of their potential goes away, if antonio never got clean he could have never started his nonprofit. keep on fighting the good fight brother
I think the scary thing is that, there's people who'll watch all of his videos and still feel vindicated in their far-right views. They could be a witness to the solution to a problem and still think that the solution is itself a problem.
@@ahealthkit2745 Having to live with these people is a different thing altogether. You guys are watching manipulative assholes play their sad song for attention. The reason they are out on the street is they couldn't even manage to have people stand them enough to couch surf or hold down a job. They have fucked over everyone they know. They actively commit crimes and destroy their community because they are more important than anyone else. I am fine with harm reduction for the sake of stopping the spread of illness, but these people are worthless.
Channel 5 deserves an award for this 3 piece series. Great work, thanks for giving these people a chance to tell their stories, and for presenting it so masterfully.
I hope Antonio is doing ok & is able to keep doing good things to help others. Very sad losing so many family members & he’s an awesome guy to not just keep going, but to make a difference to others & save lives as well.
When my brother first told me he was using heroin, he was living in a large city where he had access to Harm Reduction services. He completed tapering off of opioids via methadone treatment and did well for a couple years. Once he moved to a rural area for a fresh start, he relapsed on heroin and was dead within months because the city he lived in was poorly resourced. He was 28 years old and decided to use heroin alone in a hotel room one night and never woke up. Harm Reduction services exist so no-one else has to hear the sounds of their mother screaming after the police find your brother dead in a hotel room. It has been four years since he died and I will never stop speaking up about the importance of these services.
@@milesmungo Yes! They counsel you and monitor you on how to taper appropriately. Tapering too quickly or before someone is ready leads to relapse so this is a very important part of harm reduction. Like any other service sometimes it fails, but you can not help someone who is dead and the whole purpose is to keep someone alive longer.
Harm reduction is about being realistic. Just wanting them to get off drugs isn’t going to stop them using. So it’s about making it as safe as possible & ensuring that the resources & relationship is there when someone wants to get sober.
As a pharmacy technician and recovering addict, this is inspiring me to do better for myself and my community. Love Channel 5 and this incredible work by Andrew (and any pertinent team members).
@@greenpilltheory6649This tribal garbage is tearing us apart. Its brain rot manufactured by the government to keep us from demanding actual helpful change. There are no teams, only Americans.
@@halwake3321 Except you can sort by top donations and there's nothing @ $2,500... Andrew should also realise his platform and announcement of intent means his donation should have a name attached. If he needs to get finances in order or whatever, that's fine, but it's not a good look currently.
Harm reduction is amazing. I would not be here without harm reduction. Early harm reduction in Canada made me able to live another day to get clean. My homie Steve brought me back, he brought my other homie back, we brought him back, he passed away after getting clean and coming back into town where all the dope is. I miss that fool every day, since then id do anything to help anyone live another day to try to get clean again. Antonio is a really good man. I appreciate him so much i hope he can keep at it and keep healthy mentally.
@@jeremyburleson6329when ur a capitalist pig that only cares about money, i guess it would make you feel better when you’ve lost so many fucking loved ones.
Antonio's interview legitimately brought tears to my eyes. IMO, he made the biggest humanitarian case for these programs from his personal experience and life and articulated them in a way that I'm convinced for the need for some variant of these programs. Thanks a lot for sharing these perspectives - these are the voices that need to be heard.
I went to one a couple times when I was using, and I gotta say it's a really damn good idea. Helped keep me alive long enough to quit, and I don't have any significant lasting health issues from my time as an addict which is kind of remarkable! In my experience, the argument that it makes people more likely to use isn't sensible because nobody who has just started using would likely go to a harm reduction center. I mean.. put yourself in that situation. Do _you_ want to go to a place like that and ask for needles and whatnot? Would that make you feel good about yourself inside? No, of course not. It feels.. not great lol. I remember thinking "damn, I've really let myself go.. I can't even afford to buy my own paraphernalia!", which I would have to imagine contributed to later choosing to quit. I'm sure other people have had different experiences (such as all things go), but mine was very good :)
You are saying this only because you dont have any loved ones that struggled with addiction. Addiction is a mental disease just like any other. You think these people deserve to die just because they got a chemical imbalance in their brains? As an addict you can get sober but you will always have this chemical imbalance. Harm reduction is guiding people towards seeking help by building trust. Most addicts would instantly quit abusing if they could however it is just not a choice you can make by snapping your fingers. It is ussually a long process of ups and downs. You are basicly saying these people dont deserve to live to see a turning point.@@killercuddles7051
Antonios story really speaks to me, the strength he has after everything he's been through is really an inspiration. Really eye opening series, Andrew's reporting is really special, love you bro
Incredible work, Andrew and Team! This hits home so hard and you’re capturing so much of the picture so well. Keep up the amazing content and hard work! We are proud of you!
Harm reduction saved my life. I went to a needle exchange program they told me about a treatment center opening, I got in there and got sober. We need harm reduction wide spread.
Thank you all so much for helping Antonio and Lost Soul reach their goal in less than 3 hours! The Gubbio Project, headed by Lydia Bransten (featured in the video), could also use your donations. Unlike most Harm Reduction Facilities in SF, which are funded by contracts with the California Department of Public Health, The Gubbio Project functions on a completely donation-based model. I'm going to donate there as well. If you are able, I'd also suggest doing so! www.thegubbioproject.org/donate
We love the Gubbio Project and Lost Souls Courier/Antonio! Some of the best people in San Francisco right there. So grateful for this piece capturing the reality of the situation. With compassion, finally. These people are heroes in the face of so much hate and adversity.
My tax dollars already go towards crack pipes here in CA. I’m good 👍
@@Dud3Wh3r3sMyCarim sure the state appreciates the tax's you pay making 18/hr at chipolte
@@Dud3Wh3r3sMyCarjust donated 50 I hope that pisses you off for tonight!
@@Dud3Wh3r3sMyCarbro came here to talk shit on a video about drug addiction. I hope you recover from your micropenis disorder young buck
My man Antonio pouring his heart out, “How human we all are”
Props to Andrew capturing what Corporate News can never do.
He's the exception that's the rule.
That was deep
Corporate "news" crews are trying to propagandize and fit a narrative of whoever is funding them.
no other civilized country gives so many drugs to drug addicts, but instead food, apartments and away from drugs. andrew chooses a whack job like richy to represent the ‘other side’
European/Scandanavian progressives > american conservatives > San Fran progressives.
as soon as SF accepts that they have a problem, the sooner they can get help they need
Wtf the crypto bots 😂
The segment with Antonio was too real. Don't stop these videos, they're more important than you think.
and people would rather watch rage bate and listen to mfers like that instead of the real ones. Nuance is lost on the majority of Americans and that's our biggest problem
Nowadays everyone is selfish and wants to be stoic and will sacrifice empathy for it.
@@jhtv5757 nuance is lost on the majority? what does the mean?
Absolutely too real, my father overdosed when I was twelve, I really felt it when he said “is it something that I did? Did he choose the drugs over me?”
You could tell dude has some hardcore living amends he's trying to keep for his people that aren't there anymore.
Knowing dudes like Antonio are out there make life feel a little bit okay for a second
“you can lead a horse to water,
but can’t make him drink; we’ve got
some clinical ways to make
him thirsty however
fuckin bars
"How human we all are."
"Ain't nobody better than anybody."
Stay well, Antonio.
That last guy Antonio had me crying. Too fucking real. He turned huge suffering and pain into a positive force that is saving people lives everyday. Pure courage, resilience and compassion.
Completely agree 100%. Well said 😊
You were crying like laughing about it? That’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard on here, it’s a very serious topic. How does this comment even have likes
@@Sammsy1126Bruh you gotta have autism to think that guy was laughing at him 💀
This is a ridiculous interpretation of what he said. He said he was crying, not laughing.
@@Sammsy1126pretty sure op was crying because they were moved by what he was saying. Antonio brought me to tears, too.
OP meant 😢 not 😂
Antonio is a hero man. People like him are exactly why harm reduction is important. You give people a chance to succeed and they can leave the world in a better place.
The problem is it’s not working. Dare didn’t work but harm reduction definitely isn’t working either. And you can feel bad for the users and still be against what’s going on right now
@@stevemygoodman7809what’s your solution?
I did promise to stop smoking cigarrets this year. I was postponing (it's 22th Jan), but watching this great piece of story made me do it today. Threw my vape and malboro pack away. Awesome work Andrew. And wish me luck on my day 0.
good luck!!!
Stick to it man
You got this!
good luck man, first week or two are the hardest. You got this!
I quit over a decade ago and I’m so glad I did! Good luck, you’ve got this!
"dead people can't recover"
What an incredible man Antonio is. Extremely powerful message.
Not profound in the slightest
Neither can people that get free drugs and have no reason to change. Also stop stigmatizing blood borne pathogens its not very progressive.
@@mickyosully4592 i mean, he never said it was profound, just powerful
@@Thelizardwizardd you like me or something?
@@mickyosully4592 ? no lol, its just that the amount of "L takes" someone like you can have is astounding. I must be right if you decided to give me that dumb answer
Antonio really clears the fog around how useless Ricci is. Antonio has stories to back who he's helped, Ricci has only helped himself and brought more pain. Thank you Channel 5 team, you truly moved me.
I'm not to Antonio's part yet, but Ricci does a good job of showing he's a piece of shit himself. I've been in recovery. Sometimes I saw people like him made it a year, but he'll be back at it soon.
Edit: I see what you mean.
Even more pathetic how Ricci used his trauma to get him out of sketchy situations, while continuing to act like a dick. I don't have a single doubt that he could be a rat too.
hell yeah. at the end of the day i come down with Antonio. But at the same time i respect all the folks who watch fox news and find themselves agreeing with ricci. they also want the best for this country. im fine with those contradictions. i feel for everyone. this hurts to watch, or you're fucked.
@@user-cv2ll1dn9l I love people like you, friend..
@@user-cv2ll1dn9l Ricci and the people that watch fox news don't want what's best for our country though. They oppose harm reduction and support the drug war, which we know results in more death and addiction as proven by the last 5 decades.
The towering quality of Antonios character is evident in every word he speaks. How human we all are ❤ thank you for giving him a platform.
As someone who volunteered with the Syringe Access Services (SAS) program in SF for 5 years I can absolutely vouch for the impact of small interactions of dignity with their clients. As he said, no one wakes up and thinks they’ll go down to a harm reduction clinic and slam fent in their veins. The people who work and volunteer are consistently the most compassionate people I’ve ever been around and it shows you how kind people can be in otherwise unlivable circumstances. Thank you Andrew and team for spotlighting these groups and sharing some additional nuance of this very complex challenge we are experiencing as a society.
"no one wakes up and thinks they’ll go down to a harm reduction clinic and slam fent in their veins."
BS
@@Musicdudeyoutub Okay then refute it smart guy, or are you just gonna parrot Ricci the Bitch?
dude drug addiction is not a choice. no one chooses to go down that path, but what someone needs most after going down that path is compassion and people who actually see them as human
@@Musicdudeyoutub
Recovered opiate/heroin addict clean for ten yeara here. I can vouch 100% for what op is saying here.
@@Musicdudeyoutubyou fool they mean nobody who isn't already suffering from the disease of addiction
Antonio riding around on his bike just helping people out js actually the coolest thing of all time
He a real one, I donated some to his campaign. People like that need to be supported
@jhtv5757 thank you for your support. I almost cried when I heard him talk, he truly is a real one, and so are you for supporting. Don't know him personally but I could feel his pain being an addict myself.
Honestly it really is. What a fucking guy. Some heros ride bikes, apparently!
Those nonprofits are just scamming money from the city. Handing out paraphernalia and narcan just keeps the problem going anyway. It's like trying to stop diabetes by handing out napkins and insulin at pizza hut.
The real life Mumen Rider. His segment was so heartspoken.
Less than 3 hours of the video being out and the fundraiser for Lost Soul being passed 50k already is insane. Andrew you truly are too great for this world!
I kept refreshing and watching it go up...😭🌈💚
50k to enable jonkies who don't care about themselves or anybody around them. GREAT...
Now let's raise some money for people who were born with diabetes. They don't get FREE insulin and back rubs.
How backwards can Commiefornia get?
¼ million views in less than 5 hours too. So glad he's grown closer to a following he deserves!
Where is it please
Dude they're over 60k now, it's awesome
Thank you for all you do, Lydia. As somebody who has had an entire family hooked on fentanyl and a brother who was killed by fentanyl, I really appreciate your approach to harm reduction. People nowadays tend to forget that these people are sick and have a disease and are worthy of help. They are not monsters.
Lydia is a monster.
@@tylerkstevens lmao actual brainrot
Agreed. Also what she had to say about Richie is hard fact lol. I'm glad she's trying to protect her community. Shame does not work! The fact he follows up "they're trying to prevent people spreading HIV" with "at what cost?" bro...
@@Elandgolalright, you’re making it easy now. We have medicine that makes hiv treatment an easy process if you’re a responsible adult and go to the doctors, which these kinds of people obviously aren’t. So yeah, at the cost of providing hundreds of thousands of drug addicts with supplies for years as well as spending millions of tax payers money that could be going to, idk KIDS, let’s just keep doing what we’re doing huh? And lastly, shame does obviously work lol. These unfortunate idiots just disregarded the shame the first time they tired heroine and failed their families and kept going, why would shame all of a sudden work now? They won’t get help until they want to or they’re arrested and forced into sobriety.
If shaming addicts worked to cure addiction there would be zero addicts, they'd all be cured.
Damn, they raised 190k so far. You are just awesome. Please never stop doing your work. TH-cam really needs people like you.
“I don’t think being abstinent should be a requisite for whether you live or die”.
That’s some powerful stuff. Hope Antonio manages to keep doing his work.
Yeah but not doing heroin is a really good way to not die from doing heroin.
@@acemannerOmg why hasn’t anybody thought of that before!!!!
definitely not the shit they ingest that kills them.. definitely not
@PeaceWatcher-ek7zl clearly did not watch the interview, but in sure fox news told you all about it 😅
@@PeaceWatcher-ek7zl doing something is better than ur little virtue signaling comment
You can tell how much Antonio appreciated having a platform and telling his story. I am crying watching the gofundme link go up and up past the goal in just 3 hours. I am so thankful people like this community exist. Hope for the world.
Hope that people donate for all those who cant afford insulin while junkies, who choose to mess themselves up, get everything handed to them with a free back rub.
Damn. Commiefornia is very backwards.
Basically the complete opposite of that dude Ritchie who’s the epitome of the classic “I got clean so now I hate people who live like I used to” guy
He has to walk by hundreds of people shooting heroin naked on the streets every day you idiot haha @@CantTellYou
Oh wow.... that is amazing. Andrew really did something special with this video. I hope he keeps this up and gets the recognition he deserves.
Youre crying? Get a fucking grip 😂
Before hearing Antonios story i was torn on whether harm reduction really was the way to go about it or not.
Two sentenced from that man really shifted my perspective, "Being absent shouldn't be a requisite of whether you live or die" and "dead people cannot recover".
Can't believe I was doubting myself before hearing those words.
🙏
I did come in here thinking this harm reduction program didn't sound great, but learning about the Tenderloin center convinced me that these programs have real value. Sad to hear it had to close down. I would've liked to see it in SoCal (Santa Ana) where I'm originally from.
Antonio's story is exactly what people need to hear
what complaining about others
Being 11 years sober the Antonio story made me cry. The line is so thin, and once you've walked it, there's no way of ever forgetting about it. You've come a long way from your previous channel Andrew! Thanks for showing the world
yep andrew is a great guy and makes great videos. just make sure to never drink alcohol alone with andrew if you are a female. other than that, great guy! thanks!!
same
@Arakox hahah
“How human we all are”
That is such a beautiful quote.
Antonio is such a real human being . Man’s got a beautiful soul and a big heart
“Ain’t nobody better than anybody man.” Beautiful quote. Nothing but love for Antonio ❤️
If you don't do drug you're most certainly are better.
I hope you discover empathy@@ahtoshkaa
How human we all are..
@@ahtoshkaayou are better off, not better.
@@thekingoface8338I hope you discover reality.
antonio is a rare character. guy's been through hell and back and came out with a genuine, real soul
That’s how you get to paradisio you have to go through inferno it’s not rare it’s how it works it’s just rare people make it through
He was gone for a while but what he’s put out since returning is his best work yet. By miles
Anthony seems like a super intellectual guy. Everything he said just resonated with me. Donated. Hope he can keep doing what he does
Shout out to Antonio Chavez making a difference in his community after enduring so much heartbreak of his own. Wish more of us were like him.
These recent videos are so real I fw them one of my favorite channels fr. These ones hit home especially growing up in the east bay
Weed is the gateway drug stop promoting it to your 90% audience of highschool kids
yodie gang
gateway to smoking more weed@@abyssmp3
@@abyssmp3life is a gateway drug grow up and get some perspective clown
There are two types of yodie family
The world needs more Antonio's and less Ricci's. Channel 5 with another home run.
Ricci is such a hypocritical a$$
Antonio understands both sides. He is amazing at not only analyzing a situation objectively, but injecting his truth and his heart into every word he says.
That narcan delivery service guy was so real, so caring. Driven by his heart and all the people in it, I’m so glad they reached their goal! Don’t stop what you’re doing channel 5! You probably saved so many lives with this series. Thank you!!
They reached their goal already?? link??
Dude for real , he said some deep stuff.
in the description of video g@@illcommunicvtion
Sincerely doubt a tweaker is changing their mind after this video
@@blackern5001 you'll grow up some day don't worry.
I'm the homeless guy giving the guy the finger at about 20 mins in. I'm no longer homeless and work full time. I ended up breaking my leg while boosting and came back to Memphis. The harm reduction people in that city are earth angels just trying to help people, some of whom are at their lowest point in life. The Hondos aren't the problem, the homeless aren't the problem. A lack of care and compassion in our society is the problem. I worked for the Hondos at one point ( took about a year of them seeing me on the street and knowing that I was actually homeless and not a cop for them to let me be a holder) and they are good, decent, and hard working people.
God bless
Wishing you the best for your future!
It shouldn’t be located in prime real estate and should come with mandatory internment while they gradually get clean.
@@MadPutzok bud
so you were from memphis originally and came to san francisco to be a homeless drug-addicted thief. do you see why there might not be a lot of care and compassion for that? and the hondos who come to the country illegally to sell illegal drugs that kill people are just good, decent hard-workers. c'mon man, get real. good job getting your life on track, but this take is ridiculous.
I am crying listening to Antonio so articulate while he's so clearly triggered and remembering the hard stuff. Thank you for interviewing him and including this. I used to do meth, cocaine , mdma and still drink too much for what is healthy due to trauma. Now I am a homeless housing worker and help people at a shelter, this is my passion. Andrew your work is so important, thanks for this video ❤
Antonio reminds me alot of myself and my motivation behind working with a local non-profit in my community and committing my life to helping the homeless, mentally ill and substance users in any way i can without bias, prejudice or judgement. My parents were both meth addicts and I watch the majority of my family be consumed by addiction. I've watched friends die from it and have witnessed countless lives torn apart by it. My father was homeless for 25 years in an area called the River Bottom where I live and, though I would visit as a kidsometimes, we could barely have a coherent conversation and he vaguely recognized me. I feel his passion deeply, and hope that he continues to push on and help others.
Andrew does some of the most important journalism of our generation.
Him, Tommy g, Tyler Olivera do they make some good videos
Check out Peter Santanello! He’s wonderful!
I miss it when he used to do wild shows like the Utah Rap Festival and LA Punk Show
Without "Harm reduction" I would be dead. Just like my cousin who died last x-mas day. I was on the edge and my mom came to me crying begging me to quit. And idk why that time felt.... Right to quit. And I did. been sober 2 years now. The suboxone clinic saved me.
Channel 5***
Stop making heroes out of a team of ppl
As someone who works in a low-barrier housing-first shelter, seeing Andrew do this sort of work means a LOT.
How so?
@@ReggaeRedeemer Dude. I just lost respect for this so-called "reporter" for begging for money for people to enable drug users.
Don't respect any of these peoples opinions as they are enablers who enjoy destroying people around them who actually work and try to make an honest living.
@@ReggaeRedeemer bringing a real nuanced view to the things I see and work with on a daily basis. So many people choose to block out the messier aspects of life, but Andrew humanizes them and puts them into the spotlight. He does these things justice.
isn't this dude out there assaulting women? what happened to that, just cool now?
You work at a bum shelter, no need for your dinner party job title here.
Antonio is a great person, really had me welling up... I hope the business is saved
We had these things in Europe for decades. They work, streets are cleaner, less deaths and diseases and overtime we actually reduced heroin use big time by also providing rehab and mental healthcare for people who are willing to change.
we have everything but the Rehab part
@@DontBeBrainwashedyeah the stupid mf with blue glasses and round face said without blinking that they have a plan for rehab...she takes them personally in her car if they want...what a absolutely liar
so grateful to Antonio for being emotional on camera. refreshing example of positive masculinity, strength from the heart.
and man had some sick ahh braids too
Antonio is a damaged fool who enables the same type of behavior that ruined him emotionally.
I feel bad for him.
@@killercuddles7051 did we watch the same video?
@@killercuddles7051He’s out there saving lives, so that people just like him can find sobriety and turn into a good citizen. Saving someone’s life is not enabling them. He’s not telling them to get high. He’s not giving them drugs. He’s turning a drug overdose from a $20,000 tax payer bill, into a bike ride. Instead of an ambulance coming and taking them to hospital, he’s fixing it right there. If they die it’s another few grand in tax payer money. I guarantee you he sleeps beautifully
@@alchene321ye I was glad he got emotional cause he ditched the doo and exposed them beauts
As a foreigner having studied in an American school, your journalism offers an incredibly important and objective perspective on the realities of American society. I really appreciate your work. I just find it sad that the humanity of the victims of this society NEEDS to be shown and almost “proven” over and over again for things to change.
if indeed things will ever change.
Objective.. lmao
That's on you if someone shows you people talking and you made your own assumptions.@@ikewilliams4399
Yeah, just beware that Channel 5 is absolutely not objective and often leans left when most convenient. His videos are often edited in a way that give leftists ample time to explain their positions and viewpoints, while openly mocking the rural/right leaning person and only using small segments of them speaking. He also is constantly pointing out hypocrisy in the media "BUT ITS ONLY RIGHT WING NEWS DEFINITELY NOT LEFT WING MEDIA THEY ARE THE GOOD GUYS"
Oh and he raped someone and completely lost credibility if you ask me.
That’s why “America is the best country” is so far from the truth. Most don’t realize when u base a country/culture on money & “freedom” it allows the gov to do near infinite terrible things to their civilians & EASILY pay to sweep under the rug. Spin it around in the media then focus YOUR mind on something else & forget. Just to repeat over & over to infinity… it’s clear Americans want to be manipulated
Antonio is an incredible human with a huge heart and genuine care for others. Thank you for giving him time and space to share his story.
Yeah, just threw in a few for Antonio. 196k of 50k raised, SO FAR! I love that Andrew is linking ways we can help. Do that more! You're the best, most real ass journalist out here! GONZO GANG, BABY! LET'S GO!
I just visited the gofundme to see that the amount received from donations was twice what he was asking for. I legit teared up. Thank you Andrew and all the people who donated. People don't deserve to die because they're an addict.
ME TOO! It's insane how giving this community is.
They do that on purpose. They ask for half the amount they expect and then everyone feels good and gives even more. I am all for this cause but you should know about these tricks when they’re used elsewhere
@@ganglestankcan you elaborate?
@@ganglestankexcept he's clearly an overly honest dude thats just trying to save lives. No surprise at all people want to help.
What's your motivation for suggesting he's manipulating donations? Seems like a bit of a dick move for someone who supports his cause.
@@ganglestank Your basing that on pure speculation and nothing else. Also the amount being asked for means nothing if the cause is good, people are gonna give what they are gonna give.
I can’t watch Antonio’s segment without tearing up. Andrew’s solicitation at the end makes me feel Antonio changed him too. World is fucked up, but sometimes we get drops of something pure and beautiful.
World is fked up but America is on a whole different level of fked up
Thank you so much for posting this video. The young man that spoke at the end, just absolutely gripped my heart and soul with his words, I’ve lived most of my life feeling like pretty much everybody is better than me, today was one of those days for me bro, and I needed to hear that. Thank you! Bless you.
As a man who has had a drug addicted father for his whole life, and a now-sober mother, I agree that it is important for children to see the more disturbing aspects of drug use. Seeing the way it completely changed my parents when they were high and made them seem like soulless husks, especially in my formative years, truly stuck with me, and is one of the many reasons I'm against hard drug use.
Fo you feel rhe same about gay and trans stuff?
You are what's wrong with this world.
@@Celmel7how the hell can you compare?
@MagorzataDuszak it's about acceptance of stuff that society has outcasted and bringing humanity to those minority groups who need it the most, I'm just saying if you don't have a intersectional approach to helping all of us putting our best foot forward we should be thinking about everyone not just one group but I absolutely love the reporting Andrew is doing here and can't wait to see more
Great coverage and storytelling. FYI there's missing audio from 5:14 - 5:37
TH-cam mutes parts of videos if there’s a copyright claim on the audio. But channel5 spliced together a bunch of footage so it should definitely be considered fair use here. So frustrating when youtube does this…
Same here
Same here
that sucks
@@beaver_warrior
thanks man phew
Antonio was holding his tears back so we can cry.
What a great and compassionate human being ❤
That’s beautiful
Sad music helped 😎✌️
Antonio has my respect big time. I lost my dad when I was 3 and my grandpa when I was 12. Other setbacks after that.
Grandma and mother both turned to morphine to grief, I turned to other things at a later age.
Luckily I met some good people in my life, otherwise I wouldn't be here either, it's very easy to turn to drugs after a childhood like that or other traumas. This dude gets it perfectly, hope he stays clean.
This happens everywhere, be it a small township or huge city. Harm reduction should be available everywhere.
Channel 5 has been very instrumental is helping my family understand actual things happening between people that isn't the news cutting in and cutting away from people they interview, thanks for the coverage man, it's helping more than most may think.
"I don't think being abstinent should be a requisite of whether you live or die" is the greatest quote I've heard from someone on this issue. Keep pushing your truth Antonio!
yeah then don't do fentanyl in the first place
Easy for you to say and easy for you to judge. Hard for you to actually comprehend the plight of others that aren't you.
@@DoofensYeah, cause it's that easy, ya goober. Do you honestly think all these people are choosing to OD?
@@Doofens Did you even watch the video? Ignorant statement.
@@ObreyskiI've managed to take a bunch of drugs in my life and not get addicted to fentanyl, so yea self regulation works, it's not easy but you need to self regulate to get clean and change anyway
"How human we all are" is such an important takeaway from this series. So many people have an "it could never be me" mentality but truly have no idea
Yeah bc you never when a broken can turn into a heroin addiction and it’s sad. I have talked to a lot of addicts when a relative of mine was in NA it’s too real how fast you can lose people.
The sadness you can see in the man with the band aid over his eye and Ricky is just dogging on him sent me to tears
Massive L comment
@@mickyosully4592you're part of the problem
That man at the end was speaking straight facts and i felt every word he was saying i can relate to his story so much and I wanna send love his way and every other person going through anything similar. We all need to reach out with a helping hand and give people the opportunity to get clean Im currently looking into a program at my local uni to start helping people with their addictions and this disease that is spreading not only through our country but around the whole world and i respect what hes doing
I love when Andrew interviews people of opposing sides and states their points to each other. Sometimes it's almost spooky, I can't figure out which interview he did first because they both refer to each other. The way he embodies his interviewees to each other is legendary
LEGEND "Andrew"
Antonio is a real life hero. Salute to that man and thank you for sharing his story.
Bro... Antonio is a broken soul. He is a victim of addiction, and now he enables addicts.
How can't people see this?
@@killercuddles7051 idk that analogy kind of made me feel different, that “does providing seatbelts enable people to drive recklessly?” argument...
stupid argument@@killercuddles7051
@@killercuddles7051oh yeah, he’s definitely making millions if not billions working for a nonprofit. 😅
@@killercuddles7051 addicts are going to use anyway.
Shout out Antonio! Dude poured his heart out for us.
Dude, I fucking love you so much… I watched this series in the past and just stumbled upon it again today and it made me cry just as hard as the first time.
You are genuinely a kind soul and have such valiant honorable and decent character. Thank you so much for showing people the real ugly no frills truth. I wish we could clone you. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that you continue to grow and grow and continue to spread that basic once-upon-a-time-common-sense-bare-minimum, respect we should all be showing one another... We need to get back that clearly forgotten human to human decency, regardless of class, gender, skin color, or literally any other method of identification or categorization, or any measure, or means of division or judgement.
If you haven't already, would you please consider running for Congress?! Our country needs you in government. You would be so valuable and you are the caliber of Citizen that we need and deserve to have representing us in Washington DC or even at a local level.
They have started Narcan distribution services where I live in Columbus, OH. I decided, “Why Not?”, never expecting to use it. I witnessed an OD and fortunately had Narcan in my car. It is absolutely important that these facilities stay open. Thank you Andrew and Channel 5 for sharing this important, honest, and in-depth information on the opioid epidemic.
This is exactly why I grabbed a box when I saw it available for anyone in some of those bins they sell newspapers from. Hope I’ll never use it, but we got some folks that “go camping” in my area sometimes and you never know.
The worst thing someone can do is shove a camera in someone else’s face and yell at them. You’re not even having a conversation at that point, you’re not interested in helping, you’re just treating them like a bug that’s in your way.
People think differently. Help is for the weak and there is way to much now. Everyone wants people to feel sorry for them and it sometimes doesn’t help at all to have people pat you on the back and say it’s okay
@@ToddTurdare you saying they shouldn’t save someone overdosing ?
@@ToddTurdSo, if help isn't the answer, then what is?
HARM REDUCTION IS COMMUNISM>
Antonio Chavez seems like a great guy and I'm sorry for all he's had to go through. I like when he says "How human we all are." it's a good reminder that nobody is exempt from hardship or recovery. We're all fighting battles.
"How human we all are..."
Thank you for giving these voices a platform to be heard.
Man I really love how you let everyone speak uncensored and piece together your thoughts after the interview and basically let the viewer form their own opinion and thoughts. This is the best journalism left in America
Showing and speaking to people effected by undesirable situation that other news media would never show.
Truly showing us the world we live in.
This comment is far out.
I hope you are referring to the home owners and business owners who have their lives destroyed by these animals.
It's because it's not a news media.
@@killercuddles7051 wait so a veteran who got hooked on drugs because of his pain is now an animal?
@@killercuddles7051so which problem would you solve first? The drug issues or the thing that happens BECAUSE of the drug issues?
@@killercuddles7051thank you for showing us you have no empathy so everyone can avoid you
"ain't nobody better than anybody". Thank you for sharing your story Antonio, you're helping people more than you know.
This was a very moving video. Human emotion and struggle, so beautifully and pure, captured on video. I really appreciate the content you make, thank you! ❤
Antonio's a living legend bro.
Big respect to him for spilling like that and holding it together so well the whole time
"How human we all are."
What an insanely powerful quote from Antonio. What an unbelievably amazing organization to support. Incredibly happy to see the goal has already been reached, but more than happy to add even more support to that 🙏
Exactly, we all bleed red. And we all die one day.
I'd likely have lost a limb or otherwise be an invalid right now if it wasn't for these facilities. No telling if I'd even be alive. Instead of running around homeless on the streets, I'm concentrating on growing my belly in my own home.
I've heard some gnarly and sad tales from older addicts who didn't have access to such support. It might seem like fighting fire with a squirt gun, but the effects are huge. Not just for addicts themselves, but everyone around them.
I had to stop watching after 15 minutes. I don't want to go to bed angry and sad.
Addiction is a sickness of the whole community. Not taking care of the less fortunate, is like letting your finger rot and fall off instead of taking care of a wound.
Please tell me how Andrew can make better journalistic stories than billion dollar media companies? Our world is crazy. Don't stop doing your thing Channel 5 and Andrew
Its because those companies only care about those billion dollars. I'm sure Andrew also makes some money but a man's got to eat, but a multi billion media companies is just pure greed and a mass manipulation tool.
I would love to meet Andrew one day, he seems like a good guy.
It's because it's real and bold journalism, being there, talking to people on all sides getting the full picture. I sense very little political bias in Andrew, he's just there to learn and I sense that
Money can't buy pure intentions and true creativity
I assume that's a rhetorical question.
Even a kid born in this century should know Vice News has been pumping out these types of stories that attack the failed war on drugs for over a decade and a half. If you had been born in the last century, you might know none of this is new. Despite the inet most people are still uneducated and ignorant af.
Google first harm reduction programs, Diamorphinprogram, Dr. Marks of Merseyside Clinic, Dr. Nutt and Johann Hari, if you want to learn about addiction/dependancies from a scientific angle.
I really appreciate your content and how you let people talk. There’s alot of value in understanding other people’s perspective and the effect media coverage plays on society.
Thank you Andrew for this very well balanced interview on harm reduction in San Francisco. Best of luck to Antonio and Lost Souls project - you can tell he's been through so much...
Antonio's story needs to be pushed to everyone. How someone can overcome such hardship and pain and turn it into a positive force is truly something to show there is always hope and positivity even in the darkest journeys of life. Amazing the fundraiser almost reached it goal and it hasn't even been a week since it started I truly hope it helps these kind souls to keep doing what they are doing.
Well he didn't turn it into an overall positive. Besides internally, this man has just became an enabler for the same destructive behavior that ruined him emotionally.
Imagine having the same argument as seat belts prevent you from going faster😂 with the fact that y'all are making money off of giving people the same stuff to do drugs off of we might as well give Stoners bongs and pipes every week for free😂 should we might as well just give people who have liquor issues liquor for free😂 just because you act like you feel bad about it does it mean it makes you any more of a better person you're just as shity as you were before you wrote this comment❤
@@killercuddles7051way to miss the forest for the tree
@@killercuddles7051ah yes, making people less likely to die is enabling them.
@@jeromeace1282 Is that what the free massages do? make less people die. I'd love a nice back rub on your dime, but you probably wouldn't want to pay for it because I have enough self respect that I don't do drugs in front of children.
This is so interesting watching as a Canadian. A strong argument we can use in Canada is it is cheaper as a taxpayer (by A LOT) to have harm reduction opportunities rather than have people require socialized healthcare services. As I was watching I was waiting for this argument but I remembered it’s in San Francisco.
thanks for giving antonio a platform-wishing him the best
I actually won the D.A.R.E award for my whole school and still ended up an addict! Thankfully clean now with 7 years.
No surprise. Studies on DARE concluded that participants were more likely to take drugs on completion. All the "just say no" campaigns had exactly the opposite effect to what was intended. .
As a recovering addict and someone who lost a close friend to an H overdose… I value Antonio so much. I am so glad he exists.
If you’re reading this and still taking drugs and you feel caught up. You can heal. There is love for you.
I hope you live on.
Mad respect bro. Glad you're still with us.
You dropped this 👑
I'm an addict trying hard to kick, I've lost everyone since fen came around it's no joke out here ur words mean more than people know
@@ShawnW-gk3wo I won’t pretend to know your struggle but I will say… visualize two paths for your future. There is one where you prosper and one where you don’t, you deserve the future where you prosper. Just take the first step.
@@alejandropardo6978 right on that's the plan for sure I'm still lucky enough to have a wife whom I love more than the habit so I'm gonna prosper thanks FR
This whole SF series was awesome. I was living in Nola during the quarter confession days, and now I’m here in SF. Being able the watch the evolution of your content through the years has been dope. Y’all are making some of the best content out there. Keep it up 🙌🏻
Andrew man you have been doing some amazing work here with covering the epidemic of drug addiction in America. I am an addict myself and have gone back n forth with the struggle and this disease needs more coverage like this. Shout out to Antonio and the life saving he does and I'm glad you were able to help save more lives with the funds raised. I think you really are hitting the torch on the globe trying the free the based thought of treating drug addicts like less than human. You are helping to shed the light on the disease and I say keep on going with this work. Maybe check out how so many sober living homes have been and are being shut down all across the states. Its messing up peoples recovery and caught up in the "sober living pyramid scheme" I am witnessing and hearing about from the heavy users who aren't high functioning like I am.... much love
antonio's story is heartbreaking but shows how important it is for these programs to exist.when people who are addicted to drugs die all of their potential goes away, if antonio never got clean he could have never started his nonprofit. keep on fighting the good fight brother
I think the scary thing is that, there's people who'll watch all of his videos and still feel vindicated in their far-right views. They could be a witness to the solution to a problem and still think that the solution is itself a problem.
@@ahealthkit2745 Having to live with these people is a different thing altogether. You guys are watching manipulative assholes play their sad song for attention. The reason they are out on the street is they couldn't even manage to have people stand them enough to couch surf or hold down a job. They have fucked over everyone they know. They actively commit crimes and destroy their community because they are more important than anyone else. I am fine with harm reduction for the sake of stopping the spread of illness, but these people are worthless.
Channel 5 deserves an award for this 3 piece series. Great work, thanks for giving these people a chance to tell their stories, and for presenting it so masterfully.
The last 3 videos really show you perspectives from every angle. There is so much information without influences to a narrative. Great job, Channel 5!
I hope Antonio is doing ok & is able to keep doing good things to help others. Very sad losing so many family members & he’s an awesome guy to not just keep going, but to make a difference to others & save lives as well.
Damn. Antonio is a shining example of recovery and hope.
What Antonio is doing is actually harm reduction. He's not enabling people to get high, and he's not passing out pipes and foil
@@moneyinmoneyoutdid we watch the same video????
@@moneyinmoneyoutI'm sure Antonio would disagree with you and see the benefits of harm reduction sites. They keep people alive too
@@moneyinmoneyoutyou should rewatch the video again my dude
He's the exception not the rule.
When my brother first told me he was using heroin, he was living in a large city where he had access to Harm Reduction services. He completed tapering off of opioids via methadone treatment and did well for a couple years. Once he moved to a rural area for a fresh start, he relapsed on heroin and was dead within months because the city he lived in was poorly resourced. He was 28 years old and decided to use heroin alone in a hotel room one night and never woke up. Harm Reduction services exist so no-one else has to hear the sounds of their mother screaming after the police find your brother dead in a hotel room. It has been four years since he died and I will never stop speaking up about the importance of these services.
Sorry for your loss. Was the tapering off part of the harm reduction services?
methadone clinics and safe tapering plans are at the heart of harm reduction services @@milesmungo
@@milesmungo no. They don't try to get people to quit lol
@@seanmcd5287 you're unempathetic
@@milesmungo Yes! They counsel you and monitor you on how to taper appropriately. Tapering too quickly or before someone is ready leads to relapse so this is a very important part of harm reduction. Like any other service sometimes it fails, but you can not help someone who is dead and the whole purpose is to keep someone alive longer.
Harm reduction is about being realistic. Just wanting them to get off drugs isn’t going to stop them using. So it’s about making it as safe as possible & ensuring that the resources & relationship is there when someone wants to get sober.
As a pharmacy technician and recovering addict, this is inspiring me to do better for myself and my community. Love Channel 5 and this incredible work by Andrew (and any pertinent team members).
Wow, I am blown away by the real even coverage and giving multiple sides of an issue a real fair shake and voice here. Andrew you are next level.
Wow, I am blown away that you called a 3 to 1 "even courage". Give your head "a real fair shake".
Next level as in the bottom. Actually he is like 3 levels below the ground
@@greenpilltheory6649This tribal garbage is tearing us apart. Its brain rot manufactured by the government to keep us from demanding actual helpful change. There are no teams, only Americans.
@@greenpilltheory6649 shhhh you can't even proofread your own comments man
@@JJ-Toreddiewhat does that even mean
Shout out to y’all who donated. They got double their goals in less than 24 hours! Thank you Channel 5 for covering this!
isnt this guy a rapist
Still don't see Andrew's donation though...
@@krazed0451 True but not crazy to think he coulda just donated as Anonymous
@@halwake3321 Except you can sort by top donations and there's nothing @ $2,500... Andrew should also realise his platform and announcement of intent means his donation should have a name attached.
If he needs to get finances in order or whatever, that's fine, but it's not a good look currently.
I’m so glad the interview with Antonio was included in the end. It’s clear who has their heart in this
Harm reduction is amazing. I would not be here without harm reduction. Early harm reduction in Canada made me able to live another day to get clean. My homie Steve brought me back, he brought my other homie back, we brought him back, he passed away after getting clean and coming back into town where all the dope is. I miss that fool every day, since then id do anything to help anyone live another day to try to get clean again. Antonio is a really good man. I appreciate him so much i hope he can keep at it and keep healthy mentally.
so glad you are here and that harm reduction helped you ❤
Antonio's just about the best person I've ever heard talk. It's a real shame he or anyone has to experience so much pain.
He's getting paid
@@jeremyburleson6329when ur a capitalist pig that only cares about money, i guess it would make you feel better when you’ve lost so many fucking loved ones.
@@jeremyburleson6329 Generally people get paid for working at our jobs
@@jeremyburleson6329you think he’s making bank from a nonprofit?
You’ve never heard MLK? He was pretty good.
Antonio's interview legitimately brought tears to my eyes. IMO, he made the biggest humanitarian case for these programs from his personal experience and life and articulated them in a way that I'm convinced for the need for some variant of these programs. Thanks a lot for sharing these perspectives - these are the voices that need to be heard.
Antonio got me choked up, I did not see that coming.
I went to one a couple times when I was using, and I gotta say it's a really damn good idea.
Helped keep me alive long enough to quit, and I don't have any significant lasting health issues from my time as an addict which is kind of remarkable!
In my experience, the argument that it makes people more likely to use isn't sensible because nobody who has just started using would likely go to a harm reduction center. I mean.. put yourself in that situation. Do _you_ want to go to a place like that and ask for needles and whatnot? Would that make you feel good about yourself inside? No, of course not. It feels.. not great lol. I remember thinking "damn, I've really let myself go.. I can't even afford to buy my own paraphernalia!", which I would have to imagine contributed to later choosing to quit. I'm sure other people have had different experiences (such as all things go), but mine was very good :)
@@idontwantahandlethoughthanks for sharing your experience man, glad you made it through.
This is the most relevant journalism that I've seen in a few decades. Thank you.
Shout out to the Harm Reduction services & Antoine! Good people trying help out where they can ✊🏽
Antonio was so moving. A great example that people do recover.
He didn't recover. He is so damaged that he is enabling the same type of people who damaged him to begin with.
@@killercuddles7051 He is enabling them to not die
You are saying this only because you dont have any loved ones that struggled with addiction. Addiction is a mental disease just like any other. You think these people deserve to die just because they got a chemical imbalance in their brains? As an addict you can get sober but you will always have this chemical imbalance. Harm reduction is guiding people towards seeking help by building trust. Most addicts would instantly quit abusing if they could however it is just not a choice you can make by snapping your fingers. It is ussually a long process of ups and downs. You are basicly saying these people dont deserve to live to see a turning point.@@killercuddles7051
@@killercuddles7051dude go live your life, fucking comment vulture
Antonios story really speaks to me, the strength he has after everything he's been through is really an inspiration. Really eye opening series, Andrew's reporting is really special, love you bro
Incredible work, Andrew and Team! This hits home so hard and you’re capturing so much of the picture so well. Keep up the amazing content and hard work! We are proud of you!
Harm reduction saved my life. I went to a needle exchange program they told me about a treatment center opening, I got in there and got sober. We need harm reduction wide spread.