AWARD HONOURS ADDICTION WORKERS

A multimillionaire businessman is launching a national awards program
to recognize the efforts of the many nameless people and
organizations who help people beat drug addiction.

The National Harm Reduction Awards program aims to recognize the
unsung heroes who help reduce the harms associated with drug abuse in
Canada, Edgar Kaiser Jr., head of the Kaiser Foundation, said yesterday.

"It's not a sexy subject, but it is an important one," said Kaiser,
who was in Victoria to announce the first awards banquet May 1 in Vancouver.

"The forgotten people are the literally tens of thousands of
Canadians who work in this field for virtually no money at all,
helping other people's lives get better," he said.