Pubdate: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Insite (Insite) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) CITY'S CANDIDATES LEAN TOWARD INSITE Those Seeking Election in Suburbs Less Likely to Back Harm-Reduction Measures, Sun Survey Finds LOWER MAINLAND - Municipal candidates in Vancouver are far more likely to support harm-reduction measures like needle exchanges and supervised injection sites than those in the suburbs, according to an exclusive survey of candidates by The Vancouver Sun. A whopping 74 per cent of Vancouver candidates surveyed said they agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Harm reduction measures like needle exchanges and the supervised injection site are a good idea." In contrast, just 37 per cent of Metro Vancouver candidates outside Vancouver agreed with the statement. Support was lowest in Surrey, Langley and White Rock, at 31 per cent, and on the North Shore, where only 28 per cent of candidates agreed with harm-reduction measures. The results are based on the responses of 205 municipal candidates who filled out The Sun's online survey, about half of the roughly 400 council and mayoral candidates running across the region. Geoff Meggs, a Vancouver council candidate running for Vision, said the survey reflects the fact the city's political leaders on both the right and left have championed such measures, including mayors Philip Owen and Larry Campbell. "I think the voters have had a long time to understand harm reduction," said Meggs, who on his survey said he strongly agrees with such measures. However, Meggs said while harm reduction is important, he'd like to see more emphasis in the future on supportive housing and treatment for those with addiction problems. Jordan Bateman, an incumbent councillor in Langley Township, wrote on his survey that he strongly disagrees with harm-reduction measures. "I just don't see how you can provide drugs to addicts and expect them to get out of addiction," said Bateman. He said division over harm reduction in many ways simply reflects the region's deeper ideological split. "I think, politically, the further you go into the Fraser Valley, the more right-wing, conservative voters you have," he said. "Right-wingers believe in cleaning up addicts [and] putting criminals in jail, whereas the centre-left leans more towards rehabilitation. I think it's a straight political difference." Gary Cross, a council candidate in Richmond who strongly disagrees with harm reduction, wrote that such measures simply "support continued addiction." In contrast, Vancouver council candidate Geri Tramutola said existing measures don't go far enough, arguing we need to give addicts medication to satisfy their cravings so they can "become stable so that they don't resort to crime and further prop up the drug trade." While opposition to harm-reduction measures was more pronounced in the suburbs, many candidates didn't take a stand either way. Nearly a third (28 per cent) of candidates outside Vancouver said they were neutral on the question, compared to just five per cent of those in Vancouver. "The needle exchange and injection site, although important, are not part of major discussions in Surrey right now," wrote Rina Gill, a council candidate in Surrey who said she was neutral on the issue. You can see how candidates in your municipality answered the question - -- and more than 30 others -- by visiting The Sun's exclusive candidate survey database at vancouversun.com/municipalsurvey/. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake