DRUG KITS TO STEM INFECTION: VIHA

A provincial health initiative aimed at stemming the spread of
infectious diseases among crack users will soon start in Port Alberni,
said a health official.

The "crack kits" come in the form of a plastic-wrapped packet
containing a wooden push stick and a mouthpiece, both of which are to
be used with a crack pipe.

"This is a protective measure that will keep people from contracting
infectious diseases that can be transmitted," said Dr. Lorna Medd,
chief medical health officer for the Vancouver Island Health Authority
(VIHA).

"The problem is unacceptable to ignore any longer."

Discussions are underway with local health authorities about
logistics, but the initiative will be unveiled and running later this
month or in May, she said.

The crux of the program is stemming the spread of infectious diseases
via the mouth.

The mouthpiece covers the end of a pipe and shields a user's lips. It
prevents infections and burns, hence preventing the spread of such
diseases as tuberculosis, Hepatitis C and HIV.

The push stick -a wooden chopstick - is used to pack the drug into the
pipe. It's safer than the alternatives known to be used, such as
glass, plastic and wire.

Information from VIHA indicates that shards of glass can break off
when inhaled, and will stick to a lung's lining. Also, plastic burns
toxic fumes.

The initiative shouldn't be seen as enabling crack addiction, Medd
said.

Health officials won't be handing out illegal crack cocaine to
users.

"We're handing out two very small pieces that have been designed to
prevent harm to the person using them," she said.

"What we are seeking to do is enhance a person's safety, and keep them
healthy on their road to abstinence."

The program has been test piloted in Victoria, where it has been
established for some time, and has been in place in Prince George for
several years as well, Medd said.

A similar program was panned by the public in Nanaimo last year; VIHA
ceased handing out the kits after health officials were confronted by
some unhappy residents.

The initiative's strongest underpinning is its establishment in
international harm reduction initiatives, Medd said.

"People who have been offered this have reduced rates of infectious
diseases," she said.

"We're finding that offering this very small adjustment in the
paraphernalia that a person uses helps prevent the spread of illness,"
Medd said.

There are ancillary benefits as well. "It also has the affect of
acting as a gateway into to health services for some otherwise
difficult to access people," she said.

There's work going on now in Nanaimo and Port Alberni around building
the foundations of a strong harm reduction program, Medd said.