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.
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