TOP DRUG COP CALLS FOR SAFE-INJECTION SITES

Move Needed To Halt Spread Of Hepatitis C

MONTREAL - Canada should consider providing safe injection sites for users
of drugs such as heroin and cocaine to reduce the spread of disease, the
RCMP's top drug-enforcement officer says.

"I think it's something we have to look at," Robert Lesser said at a
national conference on hepatitis C.

He said police are aware of the need to slow the spread of hepatitis C and
AIDS among Canada's estimated 125,000 injection drug users, more than half
of whom have become infected.

Some European countries such as Germany and Switzerland provide sites where
drug addicts can inject drugs under supervision to reduce the risk of
infection.

The United States has generally preferred a criminal-enforcement approach.

Lesser said Canada already has a number of "unofficial" safe injection
sites and police generally tolerate them although they are technically illegal.

He said Montreal and Vancouver are considering safe sites operated by
community health groups. He believes medical staff should be on hand to
prevent or deal wuth overdoses.

The federal Health Department estimates the cost of HIV-AIDS due to
injection drug use will cost $8.7 billion over the next six years, while
the cost of treating people with hepatitis C is expected to be even greater.

Canadian laws banning drug paraphernalia have left many public health
employees fearful they might be charged with an offence if they provide
clean equipment to addicts.

Eugene Oscapella of the Canadian Centre for Drug Policy said traditional
drug-enforcement policies, with the emphasis on criminal penalties, foster
the spread of disease.

"We turn drug users into criminals, foster dangerous injection practices,
we don't tell them about safe practices, we throw them in jail for drug
crimes, we don't give them the means to protect themselves and then we turn
them back into society," he said.

"Many people in this country I'm sure would say, "Look they're drug users,
let them kill themselves."

Oscapella said more attention should be paid to underlying social problems
such as unemployment, physical and sexual abuse and inadequate housing.

Governments are moving gingerly toward a new approach: a committee set up
by the provincial-federal conference of deputy health ministers is expected
to recommend in June a feasibility study on establishing a supervised
injection site research project in Canada.

Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement, who visited the conference Friday,
declined to say whether he favours safe-injection sites. He said the issue
is complex and a balanced approach is needed.