Pubdate: Tue, 25 Oct 2005
Source: Toronto Sun (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005, Canoe Limited Partnership.
Contact:  http://torontosun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/457
Author: Zen Ruryk, City Hall Bureau Chief
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

T.O. BOARD OKs INJECTION SITES

Council Must Now Decide on Supervised Narcotics Use

A controversial call to look at creating safe injection sites for 
junkies was overwhelmingly approved yesterday by Toronto's health board.

Members okayed 66 broad-ranging recommendations from a newly proposed 
drug strategy that include support for decriminalizing small amounts 
of pot for personal use and limiting the number of bars in neighbourhoods.

Board chairman John Filion cast his vote against a proposal to study 
whether Toronto needs a "supervised consumption site" for heroin and 
crack cocaine addicts, similar to Vancouver's controversial safe 
injection site.

Filion said that in order for him to support such a study, the 
injection sites would have to be part of a program designed to get 
addicts off drugs.

He added the proposal was part of a "broader harm reduction 
strategy"-- not targeted at people trying to escape addiction.

Downtown resident Linda Dixon appeared before the board with a pile 
of needles, crack pipes, matches and alcohol pads that were collected 
recently from a park at Sumach and Shuter Sts. -- some bearing 
Toronto public health logos.

She opposed the notion of the city opening safe injection sites.

"The police will not police your neighbourhood once that's authorized 
in your neighbourhood. You might as well invite every crack dealer 
across Canada to come and live in your neighbourhood."

Board member Joe Mihevc said the new strategy fights drug abuse in a 
comprehensive manner.

"I think, at the end of the day, you will have less crack kits out 
there, less crack abuse out there, that you will have less 
inappropriate behavior associated with drug use and abuse out there, 
if you adopt the different approaches here, including harm reduction," he said.

Toronto council will have final say on whether the plan becomes city policy. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake