GIVE HEROIN AND SPEED TO ADDICTS, DRUG CZAR URGES

City's Drug-Policy Adviser Also Seeks $1 Million To Extend His Tenure

Taxpayers should provide free prescription heroin and amphetamines to
drugs addicts, Vancouver's drug-policy co-ordinator mused yesterday
in a presentation to city council.

"You need different kinds of approaches for different kinds of
people," Donald MacPherson told council, noting that the drug
giveaway should operate under Vancouver's Four Pillars drug strategy.

"One size doesn't fit all."

MacPherson -- who recently created headlines by suggesting free wine
should be given to chronic, street-level alcoholics -- also sought $1
million to keep his three-person office open for another three years
and that council make him a permanent city employee at his current
wage of $108,000 a year.

"I believe we've made some progress, but we're nowhere near out of
the woods," he said.

Coun. Peter Ladner said the request for cash is in no way guaranteed,
given the city's current money troubles.

MacPherson, a former director of the Downtown Eastside's powerful PHS
Community Services Society, said the city should follow Switzerland
and Holland's lead in providing free, safe heroin to addicts.

One in 10 users gave up the drug completely after taking part in the
Swiss program, he said.

He also said a pharmaceutical-grade amphetamine, provided by a
doctor's prescription, could be a safer way of treating those
addicted to cocaine, crack and crystal meth.

"We have a huge stimulant culture here," he said.

"Let's do a trial, taking people severely addicted to stimulants, and
trying to replace those with amphetamines."

Some cities in the U.S. and Britain are already doing it, he added.

With the city's safe-injection site due to complete its pilot trial
in September, MacPherson said he wants to see injection facilities
for IV-drug users open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

He said he also favours more safe-injection sites around the
inner-city, possibly located at existing needle-exchange outlets,
where drug-users could come in off the street for a free needle and a safe fix.

"We probably need to consider other locations," he said. "If we
really want to get people off the streets, we can't pin it all on
that one site."

The supervised injection site is staffed by Vancouver Coastal Health
and PHS Community Services Society.

MacPherson also said a drug called buprenorphine -- a
doctor-prescribed replacement for heroin similar to methadone --
should be made available in Vancouver.

Last year, Ottawa approved its use but the drug, which is easier on
the body and has fewer side-effects than methadone, isn't available
yet in Canada.

"Make that available to doctors to prescribe," MacPherson said.

PHS operates "harm-reduction" housing for the city in the notorious
Stanley New Fountain Hotel and has plans to open a cocktail lounge in
one of its properties at the corner of Hastings and Carrall streets
as part of a media centre.

MacPherson's office opened in 2001 at an annual cost of $320,000.

Council will decide April 4 whether to continue to financially back his office.

A free booze program in Ottawa has reduced emergency-room visits in
the nation's capital, he said.

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