Pubdate: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n838/a02.html Note: Title by MAP Author: Connie Robillard THE SPREAD OF HIV AND HEP C Re: "Off the crack pipes" (July 12). Personally, as a city resident, I am not morally in support of the crack pipe distribution program. With the $8,000 spent annually on this program, I would rather feed hungry families, support shelters for the homeless or abused persons or do something else that effectively creates a direct impact on our community. Hmmm ... wait a minute, the spread of HIV and Hep C would directly impact my community. That being said, I couldn't believe what I was reading when I read that a city committee had recommended spending $500,000 to study the effectiveness of the pipe program. I thoroughly understand the dichotomy of the issue and the opposing moral question as to whether you are assisting in the use of drugs by distributing crack pipes versus supporting less risk of the spread of Hep C and HIV. However, as a taxpayer, I can tell you, without a doubt, that I would definitely rather turn $500,000 for research over to the pipe program and let them use other social program's benchmarking processes to monitor the program's effectiveness with the help of the city's medical office of health. Do we really need to create a committee, a sub-committee, a working group, an action group, a tiger team, etc. to review this? It's not rocket science. Don't we employ the city medical office for a reason? Would taking their advice and direction on a medical issue as paramount as this not seem an appropriate course of action? Presumably at some point in the 62.5 years that $500,000 -- not including the rate of inflation -- would fund such a social project, somebody, somehow will recognize whether it is effective. And we just may have saved a few lives in the process. Call me crazy. Connie Robillard Ottawa (It does seem the effectiveness of a crack pipe program could be gauged for less than $500,000) - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom