Pubdate: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) HARMFUL IMPRESSIONS That Stephen Harper minimized the role of harm reduction in his new drug strategy, while continuing to promote old and disproved criticisms, shows just how misunderstood the harm-reduction model still is. The prime minister invoked a familiar non-answer to a question about harm reduction at his press conference last week. He's all for "harm reduction," he suggested, in the sense that treatment, prevention and enforcement all reduce harm. Yes, those things are all good, but "harm reduction" refers to programs such as needle exchanges, methadone clinics and alcohol management -- programs that contain the addiction problem and reduce the spread of disease. The prime minister did the field of public health a disservice by dismissing harm reduction approaches. "I remain a skeptic that you can tell people that we won't even stop the drug trade, we won't get you off drugs, we won't even send messages to discourage drug use but somehow we will keep you addicted but reduce the harm just the same." This is not what these programs do, and the prime minister, who's a smart man, ought to know that. Safe-injection sites, for example, can be places for addicts to learn about detox programs, places for social workers to get the messages of well-meaning city councillors and MPs out to the people who need it -- people who spend their time in alleys and stairwells and don't watch a lot of public-service announcements. It would be absurd for the government to outlaw nicotine gum and patches in the belief they send the message that it's OK to be addicted to nicotine. Yet that's exactly the logic the government applies to illegal drugs. Nicotine-replacement therapy helps some smokers ease themselves off cigarettes. A small drink once an hour helps alcoholics get off the gallons of hard stuff. It's pretty hard to think about treatment options when you're shaking. The federal government regulates the manufacture of cigarettes. It requires, for example, all cigarettes to meet an ignition propensity standard, to make it less likely that smokers will light their mattresses on fire. That doesn't mean the government wants people to smoke in bed. It means that if people are going to smoke in bed, at least we should try to reduce the chance that they'll burn down their neighbours' houses. Similarly, a clean crack pipe does not send a message that's OK to smoke crack, in bed for anywhere else. It reduces the chances that the crack-smoker will spread AIDS and hepatitis to the community. The federal government must, at least, get out of the way of provinces and municipalities that want to implement harm-reduction programs. And it has a responsibility to stop feeding the misconceptions about what can be a valuable approach. Mr. Harper's plan includes a chunk of money for enforcement, and mandatory minimums for some drug offenses, which will remove judges' discretion in dealing with real-life stories. Yet to his credit Mr. Harper did emphasize that what many addicts need is help, not punishment, and his $32 million for treatment programs is welcome. Now Mr. Harper needs also to recognize that harm reduction is simply another way of helping this ill and tormented population. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman