Pubdate: Wed, 07 Jun 2006
Source: Xtra West (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Pink Triangle Press
Contact:  http://www.xtra.ca/site/toronto2/html/city.shtm
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2648
Author: Rob Salerno, Xtra West
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

PREMIER: BC NOT IGNORING GAY METH USERS

Responding to a report that gay men are among the highest risk groups 
for crystal meth use in Vancouver, Premier Gordon Campbell insisted 
his government is not ignoring the gay community in its effort to 
combat rising meth use in the city.

"There's a number of programs that I know are aimed at the gay 
community," he told Xtra West May 28. "We're trying to deal with 
health for everybody. We're going to continue to work at that, and I 
would encourage--if the gay community feels there are shortcomings 
and gaps--they should let the Minister of Health know.

"We want to reach into the adult community and the gay and the 
straight communities to make sure that they understand what the 
dangers of meth are," Campbell continued. "We're glad to work with 
any community group that wants to make sure that people understand 
how really devastating that drug is."

To date, the BC government's funding for crystal meth programs has 
focused primarily on youth. In March, it announced $8 million for 
programs specifically dedicated to young users.

No such spending has been targeted to the gay community.

Currently, Three Bridges Community Health Centre offers gay and 
lesbian-specific days for addictions and primary care, and Vancouver 
Coastal Health (VCH) offers indirect funding for some services for 
gay substance abusers.

Gayway also receives funding through a $1.7 million grant VCH gives 
to AIDS Vancouver, which is also used to fund Boys R Us, a support 
group for male prostitutes, and Taking It Deep, a support group for 
gay substance abusers.

Although none of these programs deal with meth specifically, Al 
Zwiers, who coordinates Taking It Deep, maintains that the group can 
be helpful to meth users too. "The underlying issues of substance 
abuse, whether it's crystal meth or alcohol or pot, are very much the 
same," he says.

Asked what the government is doing specifically for adult gay men 
using meth, Sarah Plank, a spokesperson for the BC Ministry of 
Health, points to services available to adults in general. "Of just 
over 1,000 addiction-management beds in the province, 880 are for 
adults," she says.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom