DRUG HARM REDUCTION WORKERS TO BE HONOURED BY NEW AWARDS

The people who work on the fringes of Canadian society, running safe
injection sites or needle exchange programs, will take centre stage
at a posh Vancouver hotel later this year.

B.C. businessman and philanthropist Edgar Kaiser Jr. has announced
the establishment of National Harm Reduction Awards to "legitimize"
people's efforts to reduce the harm caused by substance use.

"These people that work in this field are part of society, too, and
they're very good people and never recognized," Kaiser told a press
conference at the B.C. legislature Tuesday. "What it does do, for the
whole field, is it encourages them, (by saying) 'Yes, you are doing
good work and you are recognized by the rest of the country.'"

Kaiser's foundation will run the program in partnership with the B.C.
government, which has contributed $1.3 million over five years.

The first awards will be handed out during the International
Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm at Vancouver's Four
Seasons Hotel in May. The winners in six categories, including
leadership, youth leadership and public policy, will receive $10,000
to donate to a charity of their choice.

Health Minister George Abbott said the awards recognize that a range
of health care workers and professionals make a difference in
people's lives. "And regardless of where you work in terms of the
harm reduction continuum, you should be proud of that work and feel
appreciated for that work," he said.

Kaiser said the mere fact he was able to attract prominent political,
business and labour leaders to serve on the awards' advisory board
shows growing acceptance of harm reduction programs in Canada.

The board includes Tom d'Aquino, president of the Canadian Council of
Chief Executives; Ivan Fecan, chief executive officer of Bell
Globemedia and CTV Inc.; Michael Wilson, Canadian Ambassador to the
United States; Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour
Congress; and B.C.'s deputy health minister Penny Ballem.

"If I tried to get this kind of group together 10 years ago, to be
partners in this sort of dinner, I couldn't have made it," Kaiser said.

"It just wouldn't have been possible. People didn't want to be
identified with this field. Now we can. That's real progress."

Kaiser also said he's willing to take a wait-and-see approach with
newly-elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has spoken against
safe injection sites in the past. "They haven't been there a long
time," Kaiser said. "I'm willing to give him a break and say, 'Let's
see what happens.' The more they learn, now that they are in power,
the more you define harm reduction."

Kaiser believes the sites are a good idea.

"There are people that inject drugs. Now, you hope that they'll stop
doing it ... but if they're going to do it, let's reduce the harm
they do themselves and potentially to the rest of us. So make it as
safe as they can, and then its effect upon society is far less costly
and a lot safer."

Kaiser, whose family made a fortune in coal and steel, received the
Order of B.C. three years ago, in part, for the Kaiser Foundation's
work publishing a directory of addiction services, as well as a
prevention handbook on alcohol and drug use which helps communities
set up child and youth programs.

He's also the former chair of the Bank of B.C., and past owner of the
Denver Broncos of the National Football League.