Pubdate: Tue, 09 Apr 2002
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2002, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://www.fyitoronto.com/torsun.shtml
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Sue-Ann Levy, City Hall Bureau

MILLIONS SPENT FEEDING ADDICTS THEIR POISON

Thank Anne Golden's 1999 homelessness report, at least in part, for making 
harm reduction the flavour of the moment to "treat" addicts living on the 
streets.

Golden's $600,000 report proposed creating two harm reduction centres -- 
places that would allow addicts to use their drugs or alcohol -- plus a 
team of counsellors to direct them there.

This year millions of dollars of city money will go towards giving safe 
crack kits, clean needles, stacks of condoms and glasses of homemade wine 
to crack and heroin addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes and others to let them 
pursue their addictions -- safely.

In mid-March, All Saints Church, which got a $50,000 city homeless grant 
this year for harm reduction initiatives, held an all-day conference 
promoting harm reduction.

At Seaton House, a harm reduction annex serves homemade wine hourly to 
homeless alcoholics. Manager Boris Rosolak says 102 men are in the annex 
right now but there are 140 beds in total, costing $80 per bed per day. The 
average stay is 10 months.

Rosolak says by "facilitating" clients' addictive behaviour, Seaton House 
can treat their health needs proactively, then work with core issues that 
cause them to drink.

Over at Street Health on Dundas St. E., which got a $48,380 city grant for 
harm reduction and AIDS prevention, condoms, clean needles, safe sex kits 
and "safer crack use" kits are given out freely.

Executive director Laura Cowan says $1,500 of private donations went into 
the crack kit but the city provides all of the condoms and money for AIDS 
staffing, harm reduction workshops and written materials.

Lillian Freedman, a psychiatric social worker who's been involved with the 
homeless for many years, says harm reduction programs are "trendy" but they 
don't accomplish the range of things needed to encourage people to end 
their addictions.

"They're helping you to stay alive while you kill yourself," she says.

"They're just doing a fraction of the job they should be doing if they 
really cared for these people."
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MAP posted-by: Beth