Pubdate: Sat, 14 Jul 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: Martha Scott Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n833/a07.html ENDING CRACK-PIPE PROGRAM IS WRONG Re: Council kills crack pipe program, July 12. As a resident of the Sandy Hill neighbourhood that initiated the protest against the program, I respectfully disagree with my friends and neighbours. Discontinuing the crack-pipe program will not end the use of crack and other addictive drugs. Our neighbourhood will continue to attract drug users who access services, particularly from the church at Cumberland Street and Daly Avenue. I don't think they will be any happier coming upon home-made crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia and encountering drug deals and usage on their lawns, porches and foyers. In the longer term, Ottawa can expect an increase in new infections of HIV and hepatitis C and taxpayers across the city will be able to pay the heavy costs -- financial and social -- of this short-sighted decision. These neighbours are tolerant of the problems associated with downtown living. Their problems need to be heard and addressed in a meaningful manner. Instead, they have been misled by the cynical and misguided views of the police and politicians about the effects of harm-reduction programs. This knee-jerk reaction, flying in the face of all empirical and expert opinion, will only cost us all in the long term and do nothing to provide assistance to the neighbourhood in the short term. Martha Scott Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin