CRACK-PIPE PROJECT TO BE REVIEWED

Vancouver Island Health Authority staff have distributed about 200
free crack pipes to addicts in the downtown Nanaimo area over the
last five months as part of a harm-reduction pilot project.

VIHA's mental health and addictions services outreach team has
offered "safer crack kits," including the mouthpiece and screen
components of such pipes.

The program's goal is to mitigate the spread of diseases, including
HIV, hepatitis C and tuberculosis. The fresh mouthpiece prevents
transfer of spit or blood from sores, and the screen discourages
addicts from using a Brillo pad, which contains harmful ingredients.

The "safer crack kits" cost VIHA 96 cents each.

"It's all about harm reduction," said Howard Waldner, CEO of the
health authority, in an interview yesterday.

The program created a stir in Nanaimo this week after city council
discovered that the practice has been going on for months. The city
was never consulted about the issue before VIHA went ahead.

Nanaimo Mayor Gary Korpan told the Nanaimo Daily Times this week that
the majority of council was "disgusted" at the lack of consultation by VIHA.

"What the issue seems to be is that we appear not to have effectively
communicated all the parts of our harm reduction with the local mayor
in that area and I apologize for that," Waldner said.

Nanaimo is the only place on Vancouver Island where crack pipes are
being distributed, but there are precedents.

"This is something that's happening in Toronto and Ottawa. I also
understand it's something that's happening in parts of Vancouver," he
said. "It's part of an overall harm-reduction strategy that's
actually been approved, in terms of context, by Perry Kendall, the
provincial medical health officer."

Along with the pipe components, safety information is distributed.

"We are going to be reviewing all of our harm-reduction strategies
shortly and this will be part of that," Waldner said.

Nanaimo-area MLAs expressed surprise when told about VIHA's program.

"I think it would have been very wise for VIHA to have actually
consulted with local politicians, civic government and other
organizations in the community before they pursued this policy," said
Leonard Krog, NDP MLA for Nanaimo.

"Certainly, we all have concerns around preventing the spread of
disease and unnecessary deaths. But I think it is a very sensitive
issue and the prospect of taxpayers paying for crack pipes may be
beyond the pale for most people."

Nanaimo-Parksville Liberal MLA Ron Cantelon was shocked to hear about
the program.

"What? That's the first I've heard of it," he said. "I haven't heard
any medical support for such a thing."

Waldner said that data from other areas supports the practice.

"Some people have raised ethical issues around this and I understand
that, but this is tough work by people who work in the field at the
sharp end here and we really value their judgment," he said.

"As a consequence of some of the controversy here, we're going to
have a look at this."