Pubdate: Wed, 31 Oct 2007
Source: Fulcrum, The (U of Ottawa, CN ON Edu)
Copyright: 2007 The Fulcrum
Contact:  http://www.thefulcrum.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2664
Author: Peter Henderson, Fulcrum Staff

POLITICIANS AND PROFESSORS DEBATE NATIONAL DRUG POLICY

CANADA'S NATIONAL DRUG policy is in a state of flux.  The former 
Liberal federal government made moves  towards decriminalizing small 
amounts of marijuana and  instituted a medical-marijuana program 
during its last  session in power. The current Conservative 
government has taken a tougher stance towards illegal drugs 
by  taking steps to increase both the prosecution of drug  offenders 
and penalties for drug offences.

These issues were discussed at the Public Forum on Drug  Policy held 
at the Courtyard Marriott hotel in Ottawa  on Oct. 25. Sponsored and 
run by the AIDS Committee of  Ottawa and the HIV Prevention Research 
Team, the forum  revolved around a discussion of harm-reduction 
policies  and their effectiveness in Canada. There were a number  of 
panellists representing academia and political  parties in Canada. U 
of O criminology professor Eugene  Oscapella and NDP deputy leader 
Libby Davies (Vancouver  East, B.C.) both participated in the event.

Oscapella spoke about the idea of harm reduction in an  international context.

"It's not only what we're doing in our communities,  it's what we're 
doing in places abroad," he said,  pointing out different approaches 
to drug enforcement  around the world, from the law-enforcement-based 
methods in the United States to the more complex  approaches taken in 
many European countries. "We know  [law enforcement] doesn't work. We 
see this in the  U.S.. You can't imprison your way out of the drug problem."

Oscapella also discussed the problems with drug policy  as a whole, 
saying that often governments "treat users  as the problem, when they 
are the symptoms of real  social problems that aren't addressed."

Davies commented on the problems she faces in her  riding, which 
includes the infamous Downtown East Side.

"[Drug use is] primarily a public-health issue. The  consequence of 
pure enforcement policies is people  dying in the streets," she said.

Davies' riding includes InSite, which is Canada's first  and only 
supervised injection site for heroin and other  intravenous-drug 
users. InSite started as a three-year  pilot project in 2003, and has 
been rigorously studied  by both Canadian and American policymakers 
to assess  its impact and effectiveness. It operates under a  special 
exemption under the Controlled Drugs and  Substances Act. The 
exemption was recently extended to  June 2008.

Davies supports the site and believes it should provide  a model for 
other cities across the country.

"We need to move this from an ideological issue to a  proper policy 
based on research and facts. If we want a  pragmatic solution [for 
the drug problem], it should  start with harm reduction," she said.

Other speakers at the forum included Jake Cole of the  Green Party 
and Laverne Monette of the Aboriginal  HIV/AIDS Strategy.
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