CITY'S CANDIDATES LEAN TOWARD INSITE

Those Seeking Election in Suburbs Less Likely to Back Harm-Reduction
Measures, Sun Survey Finds

LOWER MAINLAND - Municipal candidates in Vancouver are far more likely
to support harm-reduction measures like needle exchanges and
supervised injection sites than those in the suburbs, according to an
exclusive survey of candidates by The Vancouver Sun.

A whopping 74 per cent of Vancouver candidates surveyed said they
agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "Harm reduction measures
like needle exchanges and the supervised injection site are a good
idea."

In contrast, just 37 per cent of Metro Vancouver candidates outside
Vancouver agreed with the statement.

Support was lowest in Surrey, Langley and White Rock, at 31 per cent,
and on the North Shore, where only 28 per cent of candidates agreed
with harm-reduction measures.

The results are based on the responses of 205 municipal candidates who
filled out The Sun's online survey, about half of the roughly 400
council and mayoral candidates running across the region.

Geoff Meggs, a Vancouver council candidate running for Vision, said
the survey reflects the fact the city's political leaders on both the
right and left have championed such measures, including mayors Philip
Owen and Larry Campbell.

"I think the voters have had a long time to understand harm
reduction," said Meggs, who on his survey said he strongly agrees with
such measures.

However, Meggs said while harm reduction is important, he'd like to
see more emphasis in the future on supportive housing and treatment
for those with addiction problems.

Jordan Bateman, an incumbent councillor in Langley Township, wrote on
his survey that he strongly disagrees with harm-reduction measures.

"I just don't see how you can provide drugs to addicts and expect them
to get out of addiction," said Bateman.

He said division over harm reduction in many ways simply reflects the
region's deeper ideological split.

"I think, politically, the further you go into the Fraser Valley, the
more right-wing, conservative voters you have," he said.
"Right-wingers believe in cleaning up addicts [and] putting criminals
in jail, whereas the centre-left leans more towards rehabilitation. I
think it's a straight political difference."

Gary Cross, a council candidate in Richmond who strongly disagrees
with harm reduction, wrote that such measures simply "support
continued addiction."

In contrast, Vancouver council candidate Geri Tramutola said existing
measures don't go far enough, arguing we need to give addicts
medication to satisfy their cravings so they can "become stable so
that they don't resort to crime and further prop up the drug trade."

While opposition to harm-reduction measures was more pronounced in the
suburbs, many candidates didn't take a stand either way.

Nearly a third (28 per cent) of candidates outside Vancouver said they
were neutral on the question, compared to just five per cent of those
in Vancouver.

"The needle exchange and injection site, although important, are not
part of major discussions in Surrey right now," wrote Rina Gill, a
council candidate in Surrey who said she was neutral on the issue.

You can see how candidates in your municipality answered the question
- -- and more than 30 others -- by visiting The Sun's exclusive
candidate survey database at vancouversun.com/municipalsurvey/.