Pubdate: Sun, 19 Aug 2007
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2007 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Melissa Arseniuk
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

STUDY SEEKS WAYS TO COMBAT DRUG USE

Province Matches $25,000 Pledged To Find Best Way To Help Addicts

The city will spend $25,000 to figure out what to do about Ottawa's 
growing drug program, Mayor Larry O'Brien announced yesterday.

The money, which will be matched by the province to study options to 
help drug users, including building a new residential drug 
rehabilitation facility, is "a great step forward," he said.

Drug use, especially crack cocaine, is skyrocketing in the capital. 
Police laid 546 cocaine-related charges last year, 57 per cent more 
than the year before.

The mayor said the $50,000 promised yesterday will help the Champlain 
Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), determine the best treatment 
options to help users to beat their addictions.

All health spending in the region is mandated through the 
organization, so Mr. O'Brien said it was natural to have them conduct 
the study and compile a "compelling argument" for a residential 
treatment facility in the city.

One option that won't be revisited is the controversial crack-pipe 
program that city council voted to kill five weeks ago.

Mr. O'Brien has called the program "foolishness" and has urged 
advocates to concentrate on treatment rather than giving crack 
cocaine users tools to fuel their addiction.

"The last thing we need to do is serve the drugs," he said.

Mr. O'Brien cited statistics that indicate crack addicts commit, on 
average, four to eight small crimes a day to support their habit.

Ontario's minister of health promotion, Jim Watson, joined Mr. 
O'Brien for yesterday's announcement, which was made in a telephone 
conference call with the Citizen.

He said the money will not be used to explore any possible crack-pipe 
exchange program in Ottawa, but instead will focus on a 
youth-oriented, residential drug rehabilitation facility.

"We've asked the LHIN to use these resources and prepare a proposal 
by the end of December of this year." After LHIN completes its study 
and finalizes the proposal, Mr. Watson said he will present it during 
pre-budget discussions at Queen's Park in the new year, and "fight" 
for it during the spring's budget.

Council approved a proposal for a 48-bed residential drug 
rehabilitation facility on June 22. The plan was developed by a 
coalition of community groups and government agencies, including city 
police, public health officials, and addictions specialists known as 
the Community Network.

Police Chief Vernon White has supported plans for the facility, 
saying, "Opening a proposed $8-million, 48-bed youth treatment centre 
is critical." "It's all hands on deck for this," Mr. Watson said 
yesterday. "The province is at the table, the police, the city, the 
public health unit." But not everyone is convinced the proposal is 
the most effective use of funds. "I doubt that one $50,000 study will 
do it," said Ron Chaplin, chairman of the Ottawa Coalition on 
HIV/AIDS, who is a staunch supporter of the cancelled crack-pipe program.

Still, he said he was "certainly encouraged at any further research." 
"The crack-pipe program is not a treatment, it's just a way of 
preventing the spread of disease," said the executive director of 
Ottawa Inner City Health, Wendy Muckle.

While she supported the crack-pipe program, she also welcomed 
yesterday's funding announcement.

"I'm all in favour of more treatment services and different treatment 
services than what we currently have," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom