Pubdate: Wed, 20 Jun 2007
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: William Armstrong

CRACK CANNOT BE SAFE

The Safer Inhalation Program that gives clean crack-pipe kits to 
Ottawa addicts is badly named. It implies that inhaling a highly 
addictive drug is safe but can be made safer. Inhaling crack is never 
safe. The order in which the "four pillars" of Ottawa's anti-drugs 
program -- treatment, prevention, harm-reduction and enforcement -- 
are listed also is flawed. Surely prevention is the most important. 
If harm-reduction includes reducing the spread of HIV, a fifth 
pillar, detection, is required. Those infected can't be treated if 
they are not identified.

Any review of the crack-pipe program should provide information about 
the cost of maintaining a kit of pipe stems, rubber mouthpieces and 
brass screens as well as the cost of the drugs needed to sustain an 
addiction. Is drug equipment beyond the means of drug-users, or are 
the addicted unable to make rational decisions about drug use? If the 
latter, how effective can any program be that makes it "safer" for 
users to satisfy their addiction?

William Armstrong, Ottawa
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom