DOSANJH, PRIDDY JUST SAY NO

Lawmakers aren't ready to hand out heroin.

Attorney-General Ujjal Dosanjh and Health Minister Penny Priddy want
traditional treatments expanded before handing out highly addictive heroin
free of charge.

"There are about 2,000 addicts currently treated with methadone, but the
estimate is there are about 10,000 addicts in total," Dosanjh said yesterday.

"I'm sure the majority of them could be treated and stabilized with
medication. Only then should we consider substances that could be
dangerous and could send the wrong message to our youth."

The option of free heroin is one aspect of a proposed drug strategy
released yesterday by B.C. medical health officer Dr. John Millar.

Dosanjh said the only way free heroin could work is if it's offered
nationwide: "You don't want to do it in Vancouver, so that everyone in
Canada is coming here for free drugs."

Priddy also called for more methadone, not free heroin: "One of the things
I think is really important is the extension of the methadone program to
capacity."

She conceded the government is behind the times in addressing the huge
increase in drug overdoses.

"If one person dies, we are falling behind. . . ."

Priddy said the report doesn't address the growing problem of cocaine
overdoses.

"We are seeing more about cocaine deaths, and more about mixing cocaine
with heroin, and there's nothing about that in the report."

Noting B.C. has recorded 224 overdose deaths so far this year, the
province's top health minders say the conventional war on drugs has been lost.

"It's a signal to society that we have to start doing things differently,"
said chief coroner Larry Campbell.

An immediate $6 million is needed to increase to 5,500 from 4,000 the
number of B.C. heroin users receiving methadone therapy, says the report,
which also calls for the elimination of user fees for people in the
program.

Checked-by: Richard Lake