CRACK PIPE GIVE-AWAY AIMS TO SLOW DISEASE

SECHELT, B.C. - A controversial program in a small town in B.C. has
volunteers giving out crack pipes to addicts to try to slow the spread of
disease.

The aim of the glass pipe give-away is to encourage addicts to stop
injecting cocaine and smoke it instead.

"There's much less chance of passing HIV, hep B, hep C or any of the other
communicable diseases," said Charlotte Mallory of the ACTION society.

Mallory admitted there's no evidence that giving out free crack pipes cuts
down on disease, but that doctors and even the provincial health officer
support the idea.

"It's moving people from needles and sharing needles and transmitting
disease through blood to blood contact and moving them into the pipe," said
Mallory.

The ACTION society started the program about a year ago.

Under the program, an addict pages the ACTION society, who then calls back
and arranges to meet and hand over the pipe.

Before the volunteers give out the pipes, they screen the users to make
sure they are already addicts.

Sechelt has 115 regular users of the program.

One of the users of the program, who didn't want to give his name, said the
program helped him because it brought him in contact with people who could
help him.

"It just opens it up," he said. "It gives you a little chance. If you want
to get some help, these guys are there for you."

The man is now in detox and has been clean for three months.