Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jun 2003
Source: Prince George Citizen (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Prince George Citizen
Contact:  http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/350
Author: Randall Heidt, Citizen city editor

CRACKING UP

The first call to The Citizen newsroom on Friday morning was from a 
recovering addict who couldn't believe the needle exchange in Prince George 
is handing out free crack pipes.

He was reacting to the front page story in Friday's Citizen about the AIDS 
prevention and needle exchange program that has already handed out nearly 
60 clean pipes from its Third Avenue office during the first week of its 
campaign.

The addict said it's ridiculous what the exchange is doing, when he and 
others are trying to get off drugs. He said the program is just making it 
easier for drug users.

But Linda Keefe of the needle exchange hopes giving out clean crack pipes 
to drug addicts will help combat a more complex problem -- the spread of 
hepatitis C, a contagious disease that's prevalent among intravenous drug 
users.

While Keefe's reasons are laudable, her method is questionable.

Do we really want to make it easier for crack users to light up?

The needle exchange makes sense. Providing clean needles to users will 
undoubtedly help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

But crack pipes?

"It's not that we're saying, 'Hey, you should be smoking crack (cocaine).' 
(But) you try to reduce harm, disease, and maximize contact with 
marginalized groups and build relationships," Keefe said.

Keefe acknowledges the exchange program provides a "Band-Aid" remedy, but 
said it's just one way to help.

Keefe said the latest project came about after health-care workers noticed 
an increase in hepatitis C cases and, at the same time, began hearing about 
children as young as 12 and 13 smoking crack cocaine.

When the needle exchange first opened, workers saw a number of young 
teenagers who were shooting intravenous drugs, but Keefe said there's been 
a shift among that age group to crack and crystal methamphetamine.

Obviously, we have a very serious problem in Prince George. But a more 
effective answer to the problem than nice, clean, free crack pipes -- that 
are likely much better than any homemade thing an addict could produce 
while sweating for the next hit -- is parents.

If you don't know where your 12 or 13-year-old is half the time, if money 
and valuables are constantly missing from your home, if they are 
disinterested in almost everything and appear glassy eyed and stoned all 
the time, then you have a child who is a drug addict. You can't ignore it 
and hope it goes away. You have to take charge and clean them up, no matter 
how much they fight you.

People like Keefe can help, call them at 564-1727.

Viewpoints by city editor Randall Heidt
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom