REACH THE ADDICTS WITHOUT HURTING OTHERS

To the Editor,

Re: Province defends safer crack kit plans, March 18.

I wonder if the Vancouver Island Health Authority also plans on
handing out filters for cigarettes and nipples for bottles?

Addicts' cracked and bleeding lips do not stop once the pipe is put
down and the spread of disease is just as likely to be passed by a
smoke or a bottle.

Also, I do not think an addict who is hard up for a hit is going to
pull out his VIHA-supplied mouthpiece if offered a communal pipe.

When VIHA was handing out these crack kits last year, it was not
uncommon to come across the remains of the crack kits (the kit bag,
condoms, literature, candy wrappers, etc.) strewn about the ground.

I understand handing out safer crack kits is a means to interact with
these addicts on the streets, but I believe outreach workers can
interact with these people without aiding them in their addiction.

To me, handing out drug paraphernalia in any neighbourhood is
basically telling these people it is OK to do drugs in that particular
neighbourhood.

They should proceed with means to reach these addicts without causing
harm to the neighbourhood.

Harm reduction strategies need to focus on entire neighbourhoods to be
effective.

Michael Yaremkewich

Nanaimo