SENATOR RECOMMENDS SAFE INJECTION SITES

Outgoing Mayor Of Vancouver Says They Can Work Here

Safe consumption sites for drug users are not worth getting "noodgie"
about, outgoing Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell told city councillors
yesterday as he endorsed Toronto's proposed drug strategy.

Toronto's policy and finance committee approved the 66
recommendations of a public health report on battling drug addiction
in Toronto. The proposals include distributing crack pipes to
junkies, expanding prevention campaigns and exploring the opening of
safe consumption sites.

City council will debate the plan next month.

Vancouver implemented a similar strategy five years ago, opening
North America's first safe injection site. Mr. Campbell, who was
recently appointed to the Senate, told the committee that his city's
program has been a success.

"Consumption sites are really nothing, quite frankly," he said. "We
have one in downtown Vancouver, and I would defy you as someone who
does not live in Vancouver to find it."

The former police officer and coroner disputed suggestions that
junkies and drug dealers congregate around the clinics. "The fact is
the people who use it live within five to 10 blocks of it, and that's
a maximum," Mr. Campbell said, adding: "Consumption sites cause
addiction like flies cause garbage."

Addicts in Vancouver's program are given clean needles, water, a
candle, matches and a tourniquet. But Mr. Campbell said the
"important stuff happens" after the junkie finishes using the drugs.

Over the past three years in Vancouver, approximately 1,000 addicts
have been referred by staff at the site for further treatment. Mr.
Campbell admitted the number who ended up drug-free is probably small.

"If there were 100 I'd be really surprised," he said. "But you have
to have that opportunity to get there, and it's 100 more that aren't
on the street."

He also argued that operating safe injection sites is cheaper than
treating addicts who contract HIV or hepatitis from drug
paraphernalia. While Vancouver's clinic costs $2-million a year,
health care for one HIV-positive addict costs $150,000 annually.

"We have 600 [visitors] a day, 365 days a year," he said. "It's not a
stretch to tell you that I'm making money -- we're making money as a
society -- off of this."

Despite his reassurances, numerous residents told the committee they
did not support pursuing harm reduction programs like safe consumption sites.

"These places should be called harm production sites," said Susanne Edmonds.

David Miller, Toronto's Mayor, noted the city's drug strategy only
calls for further consideration of safe consumption sites, not the
immediate opening of a clinic.

"We don't know if it's applicable here because the issues here are
alcohol and crack," the Mayor said. "Safe use houses work well when
the problem is mainly heroin, so there might not be one in Toronto.
But I can't say we shouldn't study it. It's worked elsewhere and it's
helped neighbourhoods. It's worth studying."