When it comes to drug addiction, supporting harm reduction programs does not preclude supporting treatment. That is the message Courtenay council would like to send to the provincial government. Coun. Ronna-Rae Leonard proposed Tuesday that council write to the provincial government to support more funding for drug addiction treatment and express council's opinion that the harm reduction program is not in lieu of treatment. Last month, council heard about a crack cocaine pipe education and harm reduction program from the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) and AIDS Vancouver Island and voted to write to VIHA supporting the expansion of the program to include the distribution of safe mouthpieces and pushsticks. [continues 241 words]
AIDS Vancouver Island hopes to distribute safe crack cocaine kits in the Comox Valley, and Courtenay council has thrown its support behind the idea. Councillors unanimously voted to write to the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) supporting the expansion of AIDS Vancouver Island (AVI)'s harm reduction program to include the distribution of safer crack pipe kits Monday following a presentation about the initiative. AVI has been offering harm reduction services in Courtenay for nine years. "That program is mandated and funded through VIHA, and the goal is to prevent the spread of blood-borne pathogen diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV," said counsellor advocate Sarah Sullivan. [continues 404 words]
Courtenay council has thrown its support behind efforts to address the immediate and long-term need for recovery beds for women in the Comox Valley. The Community Drug Strategy Committee and the Comox Valley Transition Society are looking for government funding to maintain three recovery beds and to build up to six beds. Council agreed Monday to write the Ministry of Health to support the Drug Strategy Committee's request for funding for the equivalent of six recovery beds for women in the Valley. [continues 499 words]
Courtenay is one of four Vancouver Island communities that will offer crack pipe distribution programs in the near future. Needle exchange sites in Courtenay, Campbell River, Nanaimo and Victoria will offer the programs. For the first time, the Ministry of Health's harm-reduction supply and services program will fund crack-pipe components, such as plastic mouthpieces and filters. The BC Harm Reduction Supply Services Policy has approved various tools for harm reduction, including needles, explained Jocelyn Stanton, the Vancouver Island Health Authority's communications adviser. [continues 217 words]
