Pubdate: Fri, 25 Apr 2008 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2008 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Author: Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) CRACK PIPE HANDOUTS MISGUIDED: SENIOR MOUNTIE OTTAWA-Distributing crack pipes to addicts in Canadian cities to halt the spread of disease is actually doing more harm than good by tacitly encouraging substance abuse, says a senior RCMP officer fighting the illicit drug trade. "I just don't think it's helping," said Chief Supt. Derek Ogden, director general for drugs and organized crime with the Mounties. "If you're just experimenting with cocaine and people are handing out crack pipes at will, really I think it sends the wrong message, and could actually encourage the rate of crack cocaine use in the community," he said in an interview. Ogden's comments add fresh fuel to the raging debate over the best means of controlling the hard drug problem plaguing downtown streets. Cities across the country are grappling with the safety and health issues associated with strung-out junkies, dirty pipes and needles, and the spread of hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Advocates say distributing clean glass pipes, tiny screens and mouthpieces helps halt the transmission of disease. "The reality is, people are injecting drugs whether you, I or the next guy like it or not," said Jack McCarthy, director of the Somerset West Community Health Centre in Ottawa. McCarthy stresses a four-pillared approach to tackling illicit drug use: enforcement, harm reduction, treatment and prevention. Without sanitary paraphernalia, he said, addicts use more dangerous implements such as needles, to inject the drugs, or pieces of metal pop cans to heat up crack and inhale it, then pass on blood-borne pathogens through sharing the makeshift pipes. "I think we've got to meet the addicts where they're at, encourage them to engage in less risky behaviour, and make some healthy choices. And one of those hopefully healthy choices is to get off drugs," McCarthy said. "But until they do that, if they're going to continue a pattern of use of drugs, then do it in a way that you're going to minimize the spread of infection to themselves and to others. To me it's common sense." The RCMP doesn't agree. Ogden said while community agencies are well-intentioned, the reality is much less rosy. He contends that addicts still share the handout pipes and engage in drug binging that leads to risky sexual behaviour. "We can see that there's just more and more and more crack pipes are out there," Ogden said. "They continue to share the crack pipes. We know it's always going to be that way. Because people will spend as much money as they have in their pocket in order to buy that crack cocaine, and the person standing beside that person will always grab that pipe and relight it to try to get that little bit of residue, because they don't have any money in their pocket." In March, the International Narcotics Control Board of the United Nations criticized programs in Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto that give safe crack pipes to addicts. The UN agency said the programs violate a global anti-drug convention to which Canada is a signatory. Ogden also takes issue with community agencies liberally handing out needles to addicts. "Originally they were truly needle exchanges, so that when a clean needle went out a dirty one came back in. But it's certainly not the case now. The market is just absolutely flooded with needles. "Is it really a good thing that that many dirty needles, infected needles, are discarded all over the streets and the parks, everywhere else?" McCarthy said his centre collects a substantial number of dirty needles and other drug-related items in sanitary drop boxes in front of the centre. A one-for-one needle exchange would be impractical, he said, because an addict might drop off used ones at night, then pick up clean needles the next day. "Crack addicts don't follow some neat 9-to-5 schedule." Ogden said any needle-distribution effort should be part of a comprehensive program and try to get addicts into treatment. And he wants to emphasize prevention initiatives that steer young people away from drugs in the first place. "That's the first line of defence." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom