Pubdate: Wed, 29 Oct 2003
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: John McDonald

EXAMINING THE DEPTH OF CITY'S DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEM

Drug Addiction Forum Will Be Held Nov. 26.

Mayor Walter Gray will lead a panel discussion Nov. 26 on how residents of 
the city want to deal with what is by all accounts a growing problem of 
intravenous drug addiction in Kelowna.

"We want concepts and ideas from the public on what they want to see happen 
and how it will happen," said Brian Mairs, executive director of the 
Okanagan Aboriginal AIDS Society and one of the principal organizers of the 
public forum which will be held in the Rotary Centre.

The Capital News reported in June, right after the successful run of the 
movie FIX at a local theater, that the mayor had asked for a proposal for 
such a forum. Mairs, along with his counterparts at the AIDS Resource 
Centre, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club and NOW Canada Society, have been 
meeting ever since, planning what they hope to see is the first in a series 
of public consultations based on the so-called Four Pillars 
approach-education, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement-to deal with 
drug addiction.

"The key to this is feedback from the community," said Mairs.

"There's the human side to this and there's the effect that human side has 
on the community.

"We have to show these people some compassion but at the same time, realize 
it's a problem that has to be solved."

While there is little empirical evidence of a wave of drug addiction, Mairs 
said there is plenty of indicators of the depth of the problem, one being 
the number of used syringes discarded on Kelowna streets.

In 2000, Mairs said the Kelowna Fire Department picked up and disposed of 
872 used IV needles.

In 2002, that number had risen to 1,379 needles.

"It's the end of October and they've already picked up 1,368 needles," said 
Mairs.

"I've had some people who live or work in the downtown core and they say 
they don't want a safe injection site in their backyard.

"But this isn't about safe injection sites, it's about community safety."

Mairs said the ad hoc committee that has brought the public forum to 
fruition would like to see a steering committee emerge from the meeting 
with broad-based community representation.

"I want the drug addict (on the committee) but I also want the store 
manager who finds a drug addict shooting up in the doorway of his store," 
said Mairs.

"I want the RCMP and the city to have someone there. I want the publisher 
of your newspaper."

For more information about the public forum on addiction, contact Mairs at 
862-2473.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom