Pubdate: Sun, 30 Jan 2011 Source: Ottawa Sun (CN ON) Copyright: 2011 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.ottawasun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/329 Author: Mark Kaluzienski Note: Parenthetical remark by the Sun editor STREET NEEDLES RE "Needled by city van," (Jan. 27): What a provocative title that has nothing to do with the story. Thomas Stamoulis was being a bully and belligerently lied about having the right to tell the site van to move. Where is Doug Hempstead's article with this title: "Drug users downtown long before site van existed"? It's a mobile service so by definition it goes to where the drug use is happening. It's not a bus service to bring users downtown. As a downtown business owner interested in a healthy and safe city, Mr. Stamoulis isn't helping anyone. Donating some money to support Ottawa's sorely underserviced addictions services would be a better way of getting what he wants. People from all classes and backgrounds use the needle exchange services. One of them might be in the life of Mr. Stamoulis and his family right now. Clean needles programs are helping prevent the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C for all of us. Who doesn't want that? Mark Kaluzienski Ottawa (To answer your question, 93% of residents we surveyed think the van's routes should be restricted) - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake