Pubdate: Wed, 08 Sep 2004 Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC) Copyright: 2004 Vancouver Courier Contact: http://www.vancourier.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474 Author: Joe Chaput Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n1233/a03.html PIPE DREAM NOT ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE To the editor: I'm not quite sure if Mayor Campbell is aware, but we already have a crack room-it's called the corner of Jackson and Cordova, aka "Crackton" ("Mayor says legal crack smoking room is no pipe dream," Aug. 29). Public crack smoking is commonplace and out of control in the surrounding blocks of that intersection. It is a problem that many local residents endure in this neighbourhood. People smoke crack everywhere. In my neighbourhood, people walk down the street and put a rock in their pipe and smoke it, just as a person might stop on the boulevard and light a cigarette in most other neighbourhoods. You only have to drive down Cordova from Main Street to see this. Because people tend to smoke crack whenever and wherever, I don't believe people would travel all the way to the existing safe injection site to smoke crack. But if they did decide to do so, due to the large number of crack smokers in the Downtown Eastside, it would likely be more crowded than the Blarney Stone on St. Patrick's Day. If, on the other hand, it can help restore this neighbourhood and make it a safer and more livable place for local residents, then I would say it is a positive step. Joe Chaput, Vancouver - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D