Pubdate: Wed, 03 Aug 2011 Source: Winnipeg Sun (CN MB) Copyright: 2011 Canoe Limited Partnership Contact: http://www.winnipegsun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/503 Author: Paul Turenne Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) NO 'SUBSIDIZING ADDICTION' A seven-year-old program that sees Winnipeg health officials hand out free crack-smoking kits to addicts could be reviewed if the Tories win October's provincial election. Ian Rabb, the Tory candidate in Fort Garry-Riverview and a former Addictions Foundation of Manitoba board member, said the Conservatives need more hard data about the program's success from the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority before agreeing to "subsidize addiction." "My concern is the WRHA is paying to subsidize addiction without any real benefit," said Rabb, an admitted former crystal meth addict himself. "Trying to improve public health is important for everyone, not just addicts, but we would have to see the public health results," Rabb said. "We don't really know until we see more information from the WRHA." The WRHA began handing out "safer crack kits" in 2004, in an effort to prevent the spread of blood-borne diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV. The kits contain a Pyrex crack pipe, disposable vinyl pipe tips, filters, screens, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) to solidify the drug, and an information sheet about how to use the kit. Rabb would not reveal the Tories' electoral stance on the issue ahead of the campaign, but did repeat, "We do not want to subsidize addiction." Pierre Plourde, medical officer of health with the WRHA, said he's very happy with the results of the crack-pipe program and "absolutely" recommends it to other cities such as Vancouver, where officials there are preparing to start handing out similar crack-smoking kits to addicts in that city. "We follow trends of the diseases like Hepatitis C and HIV in drug-using populations, and Winnipeg has been one of the few jurisdictions in North America where these diseases have not been going up. They have gone up significantly in some other jurisdictions where these kits are not being used yet," Plourde said. "It's hard to attribute cause and effect but we certainly are not seeing any major harms and probably seeing significant benefits." The WRHA gives out roughly 2,000 per month through its Street Connections outreach program. Each one costs taxpayers about 60 cents. "The financial benefits are actually a no-brainer," Plourde said. "We're talking 60 cents per crack use kit, multiplied by a couple thousand a month. Those costs alone are nothing, are miniscule, compared to the cost of treating HIV or Hepatitis C, so every case we can prevent is a huge savings to the health care system." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom