Pubdate: Tue, 14 Aug 2012
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Petti Fong

VANCOUVER TEENS CAN FIND DRUGS ON THE STREET IN 10 MINUTES, STUDY SAYS

VANCOUVER-Aggressive drug law enforcement hasn't suppressed the drug
supply in Vancouver, where young drug addicts can score drugs to feed
their habit in as little as 10 minutes, a new study shows.

The study, from the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, looked
into how accessible substances such as heroin, crack, cocaine, crystal
meth and marijuana were to 330 youths aged from 14 to 26.

Dr. Evan Wood, senior author of the study and co-director of the Urban
Health Research Initiative at the B.C. Centre for Excellence, said
it's clear that expensive drug enforcement strategies have failed to
limit access to and consumption of illicit drugs.

"As an inner-city physician, I was pretty disappointed and surprised
to see such free and easy availability of drugs, particularly to young
people," he said Tuesday. "Drugs have remained persistently available."

Wood said money aimed at law enforcement, which he points out does
have a role to play in community safety, would be better used if some
of those funds could be diverted to addiction treatment.

"(Drugs are) easier to get than alcohol because there's no government
regulation, you can sell to someone under 18 and you can deliver after
midnight," said former Vancouver police officer Walter McKay, an
independent consultant who was not involved with the study. "All you
need is a phone number and it's faster and easier to get drugs than a
pizza."

McKay spent 12 years as a Vancouver police officer, a majority of that
in the Downtown Eastside, said Tuesday that aggressive enforcement by
police hasn't stopped the flow of drugs.

The study surveyed two groups of users in 2007 and respondents were
asked: "How difficult would it be for you to get drugs right now in
the area you typically obtain your drugs?"

According to the responses, it was faster for youths to access crystal
meth than adults, with 63 per cent of young people saying they could
get the illegal drug in as little as 10 minutes compared to 39 per
cent for adult users.

Youths also had easier access to marijuana than adults, with 88 per
cent saying they could obtain the drug within 10 minutes compared to
73 per cent of adults.

In contrast, adult drug users reported faster access to heroin, crack
and cocaine than their younger counterparts.

The results of the study, published Tuesday in the American Journal on
Addictions, are consistent with other global assessments that find an
expanding worldwide drug market despite increased law enforcement efforts.

Vancouver police Cst. Lindsey Houghton said Tuesday he's not surprised
by the easy access reported by youths.

"I worked with at-risk street kids during that time of the survey and
it hasn't changed much. If you had done the survey 15 years ago, it
would be similar. If someone is a drug user and they have an
established network of where to get drugs and they're motivated, it's
not hard for them to get access," said Houghton.

The at-risk youths Houghton encountered were open with him about how
easy it was to get drugs. As a police officer, Houghton said one part
of his job was to let the youths he encountered know how to get access
to support networks that could help them get out of the cycle of
addiction and reconnect with their families.

"It would be great if it was harder to get drugs but making it five
minutes harder to get drugs isn't going to stop them from using," he
said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt