Pubdate: Fri, 05 May 2006
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Mike Howell, Staff writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

NAOMI'S INTERESTING TWISTS CHANGED MAYOR'S MIND ON FREE DRUG PROJECT

Mayor Sam Sullivan has reversed his belief that the city's heroin 
trials should be ditched in favour of the government prescribing 
drugs to addicts.

In a March 27, 2005 article in the Courier, then-councillor Sullivan 
said the sooner the government dispensed heroin, the sooner crime 
such as burglaries caused by addicts would decrease in Vancouver.

"Right now, we have a trial, and I understand this is a proper way to 
go about this," he said in the article. "But personally, I question 
why we need a trial. We know it works. It's been tried in Europe."

But in an interview Wednesday, Sullivan said he hadn't been aware of 
the depth of research conducted at the North American Opiate 
Medication Initiative [NAOMI] trials in the Downtown Eastside.

"When I said those things, I just thought it was a replication of 
what they were doing in other areas," the mayor said. "I hadn't 
realized that there were some interesting twists to the research that 
could actually be useful for other jurisdictions."

The "twists," he said, were that 45 per cent of the addicts 
participating in the program are given methadone, 45 per cent get 
heroin and 10 per cent use an opiate called Dilaudid.

"So the NAOMI project is coming up with some interesting additions to 
what has already been learned in other areas, so I see how useful it can be."

As mayor, Sullivan said last month he wants female sex trade workers 
to be given drugs to manage their addictions-if all treatment options fail.

His idea coincides with the release of his statement for the RCMP on 
why he gave money to two addicts to buy drugs when he was a city councillor.

Sullivan admitted to the Courier during the 2005 election campaign 
that he gave the addicts money to prevent them from committing crimes 
to pay for their habit.

In his statement, Sullivan wrote that former mayor Larry Campbell and 
his Vision Vancouver party "made these experiences a focus of their 
campaign and in particular bombarded the Chinese media with 
inflammatory advertisements."

After reading Sullivan's statement, which Sullivan made available 
through a public relations firm, Campbell, now a senator, pointed out 
that Sullivan is "the one who talked to the media about it, I never 
talked to the media about it."

Campbell, chair of the police board at the time, said he wrote to the 
Solicitor General asking for guidance. Police Chief Jamie Graham 
simultaneously asked the RCMP to review the case.

RCMP Cpl. Tom Seaman of the department's headquarters in Vancouver 
said police expect to conclude their review before the end of the month.

Campbell said he is confused by the mayor's stance on drugs. He said 
Sullivan has to be clear when making pronouncements, whether it's 
about giving money to addicts or calling for the distribution of 
drugs to prostitutes.

"The contradictions continually go on. Every time I bring it to 
people's attention, they say I'm picking on Sam. I'm not picking on 
Sam. Sam does it to himself."

Added Campbell: "Sam's the mayor. I accept that completely. But if 
you're going to lead, you have to have a plan. You just can't sort of 
have this vision in your eyes and then that's what's going to happen."
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman