SUPERVISED HEROIN SITES TOUTED

MONTREAL (CP) -- Canada should consider providing safe injection sites
for users of drugs such as heroin and cocaine to reduce the spread of
disease, the RCMP's top drug-enforcement officer said yesterday.

"I think it's something we have to look at," Robert Lesser said at a
national conference on hepatitis C.

He said police are aware of the need to slow the spread of hepatitis C
and AIDS among Canada's estimated 125,000 injection drug users, more
than half of whom have become infected.

Some European countries such as Germany and Switzerland provide sites
where drug addicts can inject drugs under supervision to reduce the
risk of infection. The United States has generally preferred a
criminal-enforcement approach.

Lesser said Canada already has a number of "unofficial" safe injection
sites and police generally tolerate them although they are technically
illegal. He said Montreal and Vancouver are considering safe sites
operated by community health groups.

The federal Health Department estimates the cost of HIV-AIDS due to
injection drug use will cost $8.7 billion over the next six years,
while the cost of treating people with hepatitis C is expected to be
even greater.