STUDY SEEKS WAYS TO COMBAT DRUG USE

Province Matches $25,000 Pledged To Find Best Way To Help Addicts

The city will spend $25,000 to figure out what to do about Ottawa's
growing drug program, Mayor Larry O'Brien announced yesterday.

The money, which will be matched by the province to study options to
help drug users, including building a new residential drug
rehabilitation facility, is "a great step forward," he said.

Drug use, especially crack cocaine, is skyrocketing in the capital.
Police laid 546 cocaine-related charges last year, 57 per cent more
than the year before.

The mayor said the $50,000 promised yesterday will help the Champlain
Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), determine the best treatment
options to help users to beat their addictions.

All health spending in the region is mandated through the
organization, so Mr. O'Brien said it was natural to have them conduct
the study and compile a "compelling argument" for a residential
treatment facility in the city.

One option that won't be revisited is the controversial crack-pipe
program that city council voted to kill five weeks ago.

Mr. O'Brien has called the program "foolishness" and has urged
advocates to concentrate on treatment rather than giving crack
cocaine users tools to fuel their addiction.

"The last thing we need to do is serve the drugs," he said.

Mr. O'Brien cited statistics that indicate crack addicts commit, on
average, four to eight small crimes a day to support their habit.

Ontario's minister of health promotion, Jim Watson, joined Mr.
O'Brien for yesterday's announcement, which was made in a telephone
conference call with the Citizen.

He said the money will not be used to explore any possible crack-pipe
exchange program in Ottawa, but instead will focus on a
youth-oriented, residential drug rehabilitation facility.

"We've asked the LHIN to use these resources and prepare a proposal
by the end of December of this year." After LHIN completes its study
and finalizes the proposal, Mr. Watson said he will present it during
pre-budget discussions at Queen's Park in the new year, and "fight"
for it during the spring's budget.

Council approved a proposal for a 48-bed residential drug
rehabilitation facility on June 22. The plan was developed by a
coalition of community groups and government agencies, including city
police, public health officials, and addictions specialists known as
the Community Network.

Police Chief Vernon White has supported plans for the facility,
saying, "Opening a proposed $8-million, 48-bed youth treatment centre
is critical." "It's all hands on deck for this," Mr. Watson said
yesterday. "The province is at the table, the police, the city, the
public health unit." But not everyone is convinced the proposal is
the most effective use of funds. "I doubt that one $50,000 study will
do it," said Ron Chaplin, chairman of the Ottawa Coalition on
HIV/AIDS, who is a staunch supporter of the cancelled crack-pipe program.

Still, he said he was "certainly encouraged at any further research."
"The crack-pipe program is not a treatment, it's just a way of
preventing the spread of disease," said the executive director of
Ottawa Inner City Health, Wendy Muckle.

While she supported the crack-pipe program, she also welcomed
yesterday's funding announcement.

"I'm all in favour of more treatment services and different treatment
services than what we currently have," she said.