Pubdate: Fri, 27 May 2005
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2005 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoria/timescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Gerard Young
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

ADDICTION SEEN AS 'EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM'

Drug abuse should be a community-wide concern, the facilitator of a series 
of City of Victoria-sponsored meetings on harm reduction said Thursday.

More than 30 residents took part in the second of five meetings, this one 
at James Bay community centre on Oswego Street. "We want people to 
understand what harm reduction is," community developer and meeting 
facilitator Bernie Jones said. "It's everybody's problem."

Drug abuse knows no boundaries, he said, noting that there are problems in 
upscale neighbourhoods that are home to professionals as well as the city's 
high-profile downtown core.

"It happens all over," he said.

Service providers and other experts welcomed the residents to four stations 
set up in the centre library. The stations were based on the city's "four 
pillars" strategy to combat drug problems -- treatment, prevention, 
enforcement as well as housing and other supports.

Victoria police Insp. Grant Smith said that the city is unique in that it 
has a population of 73,000 but is the core for a population of more than 
300,000.

Victoria's funding for drug-related programs is based on its actual 
population though the city draws social problems from throughout the 
region, he said.

Wendy Zink, the city's community development manager, said the meetings 
were a first step in a process that will likely result in council putting 
in more funding or appealing to senior levels of government for new, more 
varied drug programs.But the first goal is to give residents a complete 
picture of the issues around substance abuse and the strategy to deal with it.

Though the city has scheduled four meetings, Zink said a fifth will be held 
to wrap up public consultation at a later date, probably in council chambers.

The first meeting was held last week at Blanshard Community Centre last 
week and drew more than 20 neighbours.

For information on next week's meetings and how to provide input, residents 
can go to the city website as of Monday at www.city.victoria.bc.ca, click 
on "what's new," then harm reduction, Zink said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth