COMMITTEE SEEKING REFORMS IN NATIONAL ANTI-DRUG POLICIES

An all-party federal committee into the use of illegal drugs in Canada is
taking a trip to Halifax.

The committee, which has heard from addicts from Vancouver's infamous east
side to downtown Toronto, will hold public hearings at the Delta Barrington
from tomorrow until Thursday.

The committee was appointed last May to come up with a better way to tackle
Canada's growing drug problem, from prevention through to interdiction and
rehabilitation.

"The federal government's National Drug Strategy has been a complete
failure," said Canadian Alliance MP Randy White, who initiated the
committee. "Enforcement is not working, there are no standards for
rehabilitation and detox, there's no consistency, education is sporadic."

He said it's an issue that affects every community, small and large, across
the country.

Paddy Torsney chairs the committee. "What we're finding is maybe we need to
start looking at an approach that says what are the reasons for people
looking for alcohol, tobacco, heroin, gasoline, whatever, and how do we
address those underlying issues and improve the quality of life," she said.

"Communities are being destroyed by break and enters, by people falling
further and further away from the supports they need to live healthier
lives, and you're leading to incredible family break down."

She said 95 per cent of federal funds go toward drug seizures and arrests,
while just five per cent goes to reducing demand. Part of that is because
the provincial government is responsible for health care, but Torsney said
the committee should also develop "a more balanced approach."

White said government should focus more on "harm reduction," which means
providing needle exchanges, safe injection sites and heroin maintenance
programs, all of which he admits will be a hard sell.

Torsney said she has been touched by stories of drug abuse. She was
particularly taken by the story of a Vancouver mother of two grown sons.
One has a master's degree, the other is a drug addict. He robbed her and
got her thrown out of subsidized housing in his fight to feed his habit.

"She now lives hand to mouth, but she's out there helping people on the
street, trying to make a difference."

The hearings are open to the public. Anyone wishing to make a submission
can do so through the committee's e-mail at snud@parl.gc.ca.