Pubdate: Fri, 22 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: Jake Rupert
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

COUNCILLORS ENDORSE PLAN TO FIGHT DRUGS

City To Look At Possibility Of Studying Crack-Pipe Users

Councillors on the city's community services committee endorsed the 
next phase of the municipality's plan to combat drugs and addiction 
yesterday, including a possible review of the crack-pipe program.

The plan was developed by a group of community groups and government 
agencies, including the police, public health officials, and 
addictions specialists known as the Community Network.

It calls for the creation of a 48-bed residential treatment facility 
for youth because the city doesn't have one, peer intervention 
programs and increased support services, employment opportunities, 
drug treatment resources and help to find housing for addicts.

The plan also calls for beefed up education programs aimed at 
preventing drug use, particularly by youth, a more co-ordinated 
approach with police officers, and a better communications strategy 
on what the plan hopes to achieve.

However, the focus of public debate remains the city's two-year-old, 
$8,000-per-year program of handing out clean crack pipes and rubber 
mouth pieces to users.

Ottawa's police force and others maintain it's counter productive to 
hand out drug-taking items when one of the goals is to prevent drug 
use. Critics maintain there is no evidence showing the program even 
reduces the spread of disease.

The city's chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Salisbury, and 
supporters of the program maintain this is not the case, and that the 
critics are missing the point of the program.

"This program is about prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C, it's not 
about reducing drug use," Dr. Salisbury said.

Furthermore, he said a recent report by a University of Ottawa 
researcher Dr. Lynne Leonard concluded the program is meeting its 
goal of harm reduction. An independent review of the program was 
approved in principle yesterday.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom