SUPPORT SIGNALS A TIME FOR ACTION ON DRUGS

There's no excuse for governments to delay funding.

Seventy-seven per cent of Vancouverites, according to a public opinion
survey commissioned by the city, favour Mayor Philip Owen's specific
plan to tackle the problem of illegal hard drugs. Wow! With this level
of public support, we expect some real action in the anti-drug
crusade. And we expect it soon.

Premier Ujjal Dosanjh has already voiced surprisingly forceful
support, and Mr. Owen should not, in our view, have much difficulty
getting both the Victoria cabinet and the one in Ottawa to get behind
his four-pillar strategy to curtail illicit drug use, to prevent
hundreds of drug-induced deaths, to reduce crime and to generally make
our city more livable.

The first three pillars -- prevention, treatment and enforcement --
embody common sense approaches that virtually everyone can get behind.
So there is a broad consensus about the wisdom of preventing drug use
through education and awareness programs, treating addicts through a
mixture of detox centres, outpatient counselling and residential
treatment facilities, and enforcing the law in the Downtown Eastside.
Related is the support for setting up drug courts to deal much more
swiftly and effectively with addicted criminals. The support for
mandatory drug treatment for those found guilty of crimes is also high.

The fourth pillar, harm reduction, requires more of a leap of faith,
and we're pleased at how many Vancouver residents have considered
evidence that it works well elsewhere and have thrown their weight
behind it. It recognizes that some people will remain addicts, and it
proposes to help them remain healthy by providing needle exchanges and
even safe injections sites.

Premier Dosanjh has, to his credit, not only supported needle
exchanges and safe injection sites, but he goes further to endorse the
idea of providing addicts with drugs to feed their habit. This is the
most controversial approach of all, but it is a proven way to undercut
the criminals that drive the drug trade.

It's immensely encouraging to have two levels of government on-side
already, and to see them given the endorsement of so many voters
represented by the polls. But, without Ottawa's participation,
effective action will likely be stalled.

The feds have, encouragingly, already signalled their intention to set
up drug courts. We hope this happens sooner rather than later, and
that Ottawa does not stop there, but joins its municipal and
provincial partners in a comprehensive and coordinated strategy.

Of course, even this broad level of public endorsement doesn't mean
everyone's happy with Mr. Owen's plan. The Community Alliance, a
coalition of business owners and residents of the Downtown Eastside,
are staunchly opposed. They say putting emphasis on harm reduction
means not enough on prevention, treatment and enforcement.

While the concerns of the Community Alliance should be heard during
the public forums being held throughout the city, we don't think this
opposition is any excuse to abandon the plan. If opponents raise valid
questions about some component of the strategy and are backed up by
facts, the points they make should be taken into consideration in the
final design and implementation of the program. But Mr. Owen and his
team have shown real leadership, and they have the backing of the
majority. We urge them to pursue the broad goals of their plan
vigorously and quickly.

While the drug problem is visible mainly in the Downtown Eastside, it
is by no means confined to this small area. Out of of the average of
147 deaths that occur each year due to drug use in Vancouver, only 62
are in the Downtown Eastside. The West End has 30 deaths a year, and
others occur in Kitsilano, Point Grey and Mount Pleasant, among other
areas. Indeed, few if any Vancouver neighbourhoods are immune from
the devastating effects of drug use. And it costs this province about
$96 million each year to deal with the problem.

At this juncture, neither the city, the province nor feds have
committed any money for this plan. With Vancouverites signalling such
a strong support, it's time they did.