Mile Zero If you ask people living in the 800-block of Cormorant Street to describe how well they've been sleeping lately, many will answer with exasperated sighs or tight-lipped grimaces of frustration. The area is one of downtown Victoria's acknowledged "hot spots" of illegal drug activity and it's also home to the needle exchange operated by AIDS Vancouver Island. Despite the best efforts of AVI officials, city employees, neighbourhood associations and the police, drug-related activities and unwelcome nighttime noise extends for several blocks in every direction. [continues 824 words]
Mile Zero If you ask people living in the 800-block of Cormorant Street to describe how well they've been sleeping lately, many will answer with exasperated sighs or tight-lipped grimaces of frustration. The area is one of downtown Victoria's acknowledged "hot spots" of illegal drug activity and it's also home to the needle exchange operated by AIDS Vancouver Island. Despite the best efforts of AVI officials, city employees, neighbourhood associations and the police, drug-related activities and unwelcome nighttime noise extends for several blocks in every direction. [continues 826 words]
Residents Want Action On Drug Problem One of the last things North Park residents want to see when taking a walk in their community is all of the residue left behind by drug users who also frequent the neighbourhood. Whether it's dirty needles tossed into a front garden or blood-stained alcohol swabs discarded in playgrounds, drug abuse is more visible in Kristin Atwood's neck of the woods than almost anywhere else in the Capital Region. The chair of the North Park Neighbourhood Association (NPRA) wants to get her neighbours more involved in efforts to clean up the ongoing problem and encourage city hall to do more to address the social ramifications of the illicit drug trade. The NPRA is hosting an informal public forum March 14 to listen to the views of people who live and work in the area. [continues 463 words]
Kid Face Greater Risk Of Addiction Dr. Stanton Peele is becoming increasingly concerned that drug addiction is more prevalent among North American children, despite steps taken to curb drug use. The addiction consultant and psychologist is an international leader in the field of "harm reduction" and will speak on the subject July 24, starting at 4:30 p.m., in Room A240 of UVic's Human and Social Development Building. Public health officials and health-care professionals in Canada and the United States continue to combat substance abuse in young people and yet Peele is seeing no corresponding decrease in the level of addiction. During his lecture, entitled Is Society Training Children to Be Addicts? Peele will discuss some of the factors he believes may be at the heart of this ongoing social problem. [continues 183 words]
"Hello. Bonjour. Welcome to Health Canada's customer service and complaint line. This is Dave speaking. How can I help you?" "Uh . . . Yeah, man. This is Jimmy. I've got a problem with my medication. I suffer from . . . um . . . glaucoma. Yeah, that's it." "Well, let's see what we can do to help. What exactly is the problem?" "It's about this new dope you guys sent me, Dave. It tastes terrible and it ain't even getting me high, dude." [continues 713 words]
