Pubdate: Wed, 03 Sep 2008
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Victoria News
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: Gregory Hartnell

COUNCIL DECISION ON NEEDLE SERVICES IRRESPONSIBLE

Re: Council Briefs, Aug. 20

Keith Vass informs us in this article that 'the City of Victoria 
won't seek to regulate location of needle exchange services through 
zoning amendments.'

This outrageous dereliction of duty on the part of the Victoria city 
council follows a July letter sent by Mayor Alan Lowe encouraging the 
Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) to dispense hypodermic 
needles out of all of its facilities.

This is a pathetic, stealthy betrayal by the mayor and council of the 
public interest, particularly that of parents of vulnerable children 
at the nearby Victoria Conservatory of Music, St. Andrew's elementary 
and preschool and Christ Church Cathedral Preschool.

When parents convened an emergency meeting at the St. Andrew's gym 
earlier this year, they were given assurances by Victoria city Coun. 
Charlayne Thornton-Joe, VIHA CEO Howard Waldner, the school's 
principal Keifer Pollard, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools Joe 
Colistro (representing the Bishop of Victoria) and other worthies 
that their legitimate concerns for the safety of their children were 
heard and would be brought to the attention of the council.

The overwhelming majority of parents, neighbours and other concerned 
citizens attending the meeting opposed the siting of a so-called 
'needle exchange service' in the new Our Place facility on Pandora 
Avenue. Parents were horrified at the obvious failure of the needle 
dispensary on Cormorant Street to reduce addiction and social 
disorder (overt public injections and drug dealing, defecation on 
private property, needles, condoms and other debris left everywhere, etc.).

They later presented a petition asking that city council not allow 
such facilities anywhere near schools, pre-schools or playgrounds. By 
choosing not to bring in zoning changes, the irresponsible council 
has completely dropped the ball, leaving innocent children vulnerable.

Instead of continuing to enable poor, sick active addicts to stay 
mired in their deadly addictions, the City of Victoria should 
prohibit the siting of any such facilities near vulnerable children, 
as the parents requested.

They should then start to offer rehab and abstinence-based 
residential treatment programmes in conjunction with successful 
self-help groups to help these addicts recover, regain their health 
and become productive members of society again.

Gregory Hartnell, president Concerned Citizens' Coalition
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom