Pubdate: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Hacker Press Ltd. Contact: http://www.abbynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155 Author: Russ Akins MP CRITICAL OF FEDERAL DRUG REPORT Harm reduction should be the core of a federal drug program, say recommendations of a federal parliamentary committee announced yesterday. But that doesn't sit well with the committee's vice-chair, Langley Abbotsford Alliance MP Randy White -- who has long called harm reduction "harm extension.'' A total of 40 recommendations arise from the committee's report, unveiled at Vancouver's Roundhouse Centre. The Special Parliamentary Committee on the Non-medical Use of Drugs spent 18 months in hearings across the country, and heard hundreds of expert witnesses. It's now up to the federal government to decide whether to implement all or some of the recommendations. More than half a dozen of the recommendations, which were contained in part one of the committee's final report tabled in the House of Commons, deal with the topic of harm reduction. One calls for the decriminalization of possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana. White joined political rivals Vancouver Central Liberal MP Hedy Fry and Vancouver East NDP MP Libby Davies in making part one public. He was blunt in his criticism of some aspects of the report, especially those calling for the establishment of needle exchange programs, safe injection sites and heroin maintenance programs in major cities across Canada, including Vancouver. White told the Abbotsford News prior to yesterday's report that Vancouver and the Lower Mainland will become a "magnet'' for drug addicts from across Canada and the U.S. if such an approach is taken. "Why are they promoting programs that will keep addicts on drugs, instead of programs that will with detox and rehabilitation?'' he asked yesterday. "Their concepts of harm reduction can be better classed as harm extension, as they will maintain a chemical dependency to dangerous and illicit drugs over a much longer period of time.'' He said federal Health Minister Anne McLellan is already at the front of the "harm reduction bandwagon. "The first priority of a National Drug Strategy should be abstinence,'' said the MP. Recommendation 41 calls for the minister of justice and the minister of health to decriminalize the possession and cultivation of not more than 30 grams of marijuana for personal use. The Canadian Alliance will be releasing its position on federal marijuana laws on Thursday, the same day the parliamentary committee releases its final report on pot. The recommendations also call for methadone to be offered to federal prison inmates as substitution therapy, also strongly opposed by White, and needle exchange programs. The committee was given a mandate to study Canada's non-medical drug use in May of 2001, and was made up of federal members from all political parties. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens