Pubdate: Mon, 26 May 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

DRUG TASK FORCE PROPOSED

Responding to a request from Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray, four social service 
agencies in Kelowna have endorsed a proposal for a community task force on 
harm reduction for intravenous drug use.

The Capital News has learned that the AIDS Resource Centre along with the 
Okanagan Aboriginal AIDS Society, NOW Canada Society and the Central 
Okanagan Boys & Girls Club responded Friday to the mayor's request with a 
letter outlining how they believe the city should proceed.

The agencies want the city to use as a blueprint the report Framework for 
Action: The Four-Pillar Approach to Drug Problems in Vancouver and the Four 
Pillars Review, a task force set up by the City of Kamloops which is itself 
based on the Framework report.

The agencies suggest the task force be comprised of a lengthy list of 
political, business and community leaders including the mayors of Kelowna, 
Peachland and Lake Country, Westbank First Nations Chief, the RCMP, 
superintendent of schools, local MLAs and area directors of the Central 
Okanagan Regional District, Interior Health Authority officials and members 
of the Chamber of Commerce and the business associations. They also stress 
the need for drug users to be included in the task force for it to have any 
relevancy. Once formed, the agencies suggest recurring public forums 
allowing debate on the issue be conducted.

Brian Mairs, director of the Okanagan Aboriginal AIDS Society, said the 
Mayor Gray contacted him and ARC executive director Daryle Roberts after he 
had missed a scheduled showing of the drug documentary FIX because of illness.

"He called and said I realize we have a problem but I don't have any wheels 
to put this on," said Mairs. "What do we need to do to give me some wheels 
for this is what he asked."

Mairs and Roberts quickly approached the other agencies because of their 
expertise in addictions and harm reduction. "They took one look at what we 
wanted to do and signed right on," he added.

While he realizes time constraints may be a limiting factor, Mairs said he 
would like to see something going before the end of the month.

"I understand the wheels of politics move relatively slowly but I'm hoping 
the mayor and the councillors take a serious look at this and get right on 
it," he said. "My timeline may be unrealistic but I would hope they would 
at least start something before summer."

Mairs also hopes the general public will embrace the idea. "This valley 
denial thing has to end somewhere. This is the largest city in the 
Okanagan. It's not Utopia as much as we would like to think it is."
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MAP posted-by: Beth