HELP WILL KILL ADDICTS: FORD

Toronto should consider building crematoria beside crack houses if the
city's proposed drug strategy is implemented, city councillor Rob Ford
warned yesterday.

The councillor, who has battled addiction in his own family, blasted a new
report by Toronto Public Health on combating alcohol and drug use in the
city. The report recommends the city distribute crack pipes and other
paraphernalia to addicts and explore opening safe injection and inhalation
sites.

"It's euthanasia. You're just giving them a place to kill themselves.
That's what is going to happen. You might as well just have a crematorium
beside the crack house," Mr. Ford said.

He said these "harm reduction" strategies only encourage addicts to
continue their drug use.

"You're not helping them, you're enabling them," Mr. Ford said. "They're
going to smoke that crack whether you give them those crack pipes or not.
They're going to shoot that heroin whether you give them clean needles or
not. If people want a change, it has to come from within."

Mr. Ford has vocally opposed the city's support of harm-reduction
strategies in the past, including a program at the Seaton House shelter
that distributes wine and cigarettes to addicts.

According to the drug strategy, such harm-reduction measures as "safer
crack use kits" may prevent the spread of disease between users. In
addition, they allow outreach workers to connect with addicts and build trust.

The strategy also calls for better public education, increased treatment
programs and a 24-hour crisis centre to help addicts.

Mr. Ford said the city should concentrate on enforcement and rehabilitation
measures.

"You have to get these people into rehabilitation and if they don't want to
go, well, then you just enforce the law. If it's illegal, you arrest them.
That's the bottom line and if they have to dry out in jail -- great," he said.

Mr. Ford said problems in his own family have taught him "tough love" is
the only way to battle drug use.

The councillor's sister was shot and wounded this past March during an
altercation in her parents' home. One of the men involved in the shooting
was charged with cocaine possession.

"I know for a fact that tough love has worked and I'm talking from personal
experience. If you just enable someone and give them a place to live and
money, nothing changes," Mr. Ford said.