SEX, DRUGS PAMPHLET "OVER THE TOP"

A federal health publication says people can "still shoot up if that's what
we're into."

OTTAWA - The federal health department has sparked sharp debate with a
health pamphlet that appears to endorse injection drug use.

"Just because we've made the choice that we don't want AIDS doesn't mean
the party's over," says the AIDS-prevention pamphlet, which is being
distributed at health clinics, schools and libraries. "We can still fool
around with sex and have a great time. Still shoot up if that's what we're
into."

The pamphlet, which carries the logos of Health Canada and the Canadian
AIDS Society, goes on to provide detailed instructions for having safe sex
and cleaning needles.

Andrew Papadopoulos, executive director of the Toronto-based Association of
Local Public Health Agencies, said he was startled by the wording of the
pamphlet.

"At no time would public health even begin to advocate injection drug use,"
he said Friday."I don't know who their target audience is with this
pamphlet but it certainly seems to be youth, and it's not a behaviour you
would want to semi-encourage."

Papadopoulos said positive messages have been shown to work better than
negative messages, but the federal pamphlet goes too far.

He said many diseases are spread by sharing needles, but "injection drug
use itself is as dangerous as any of the communicable diseases you could
obtain from this activity.

"The shooting-up line is over the top."

Keith Martin, a doctor, Canadian Alliance MP and leadership candidate, said
he was appalled by the pamphlet.

"To imply it's okay to shoot up is saying there are no boundaries. For the
government to say there are no boundaries is immoral."

But a Health Canada spokesman said the pamphlet doesn't condone such behaviour.

"It's simply acknowledging it does occur," said Michael Jacino, marketing
adviser to the Canadian Strategy on HIV-AIDS at Health Canada.

He said the tone of the pamphlet is of youth talking to youth and it was
designed with "peer educators at the community level" in mind.

Martin said he does not advocate a punitive approach to drug abuse, which
he considers a medical rather than a criminal problem, but the message in
the pamphlet runs counter to drug awareness campaigns.

"It should be removed."

Richard Garlick of the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse defended the
pamphlet.

"It really hits people pretty forcefully. The here and now is that people
are becoming infected every day because they don't know how to inject safely."