Pubdate: Wed, 06 Jun 2012
Source: Campbell River Mirror (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Campbell River Mirror
Contact:  http://www.campbellrivermirror.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1380
Author: Kristen Douglas

COUNCIL SUPPORTS SAFE CRACK KITS

The debate over harm reduction strategies, such as needle exchange and
safe injection sites, and whether they promote drug use surfaced in
council chambers last week.

Council listened to a presentation from AIDS Vancouver Island and the
Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) asking for support for safer
crack use kits.

Dr. Charmaine Enns, Medical Health Officer with VIHA, said crack
cocaine users are often neglected by society and are vulnerable to
infectious disease.

"Crack smokers have a very high prevalence of blisters, cuts and sores
on their lips and in their mouths from injury from the equipment
they're using to smoke crack," she said. "They burn the linings of
their lips and their mouth from hot glass or metal stems."

Enns showed slides of what crack smokers are using to get their fix,
from a modified pill bottle to a re-configured insulin vial.

"If someone is smoking crack, they will find any way that they can to
smoke it," she said. "If there is not a readily available stem and the
brass screens ... they will make what they can - a pop can, a broken
bottle, whatever they need to smoke crack."

The health authority plans to expand its harm reduction services at
the Campbell River AIDS Vancouver Island office by distributing kits
which promote safer crack use with instruments such as glass stems,
brass filters and rubber mouthpieces.

The kits are already being circulated in major Canadian cities such as
Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Halifax and Montreal. They've been
distributed in Courtenay since December 2009, to the tune of 150 kits
per month. They have also been distributed in Campbell River in the
past.

They are expected to soon make the rounds in Campbell River again.
Enns admitted VIHA did not need council's support to distribute the
kits but still wanted the city's endorsement.

After listening to Enn's presentation, most of council was convinced
and voted to give the healthy authority written support of the safer
crack use kits.

Coun. Ron Kerr was the lone councillor opposed.

"My concern is the message it sends to our more vulnerable
demographic, the youth," he said. "The perception is we're condoning
substance abuse by supplying the paraphernalia, rather than
prevention. We're putting our most vulnerable at risk."

But Enns said the research is "very, very strong that harm reduction
does not promote drug use."

Sarah Sullivan, manager of the Campbell River AIDS Vancouver Island
office, agreed there is very little evidence that programs such as
safer crack use kits put communities at risk.

"Children are generally not in the same vicinity as people using drugs
so there's very little interaction between the two populations,"
Sullivan said. "Most drug users I've come into contact with want
nothing more than to become a good citizen."

Enns added that harm reduction is aimed at the user.

"Harm reduction is the bridge to stay connected with people that
otherwise would be disconnected, so that they can access treatment and
hopefully go on to healthier lives... we can't intervene in people's
lives when they're dead."

So we really need to work at doing the best thing for people so they
can get well."
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MAP posted-by: Matt