KEEPING DRUG USERS HEALTHIER

The Toronto Harm Reduction Coalition had its annual general meeting
recently; uppermost on the agenda was the election of four new directors.

Harm reduction?

I don't have the official definition. I'm not sure there is one. I
have my own: We can't stop drugs, and we can't stop people from using
drugs; as a result, there tends to be three outcomes: users keep on
using, the way drinkers keep drinking; or people clean up; or they
die.

Nobody kicks drugs when they are dead.

If we can help a person avoid any godawful, lifelong illnesses, then
we will have helped that person avoid years of misery, and saved
hundred of thousands of dollars in health-care costs.

It is that simple.

There were 50 or 60 people in the room; drug users, nurses, outreach
workers, coalition members. The speaker, Raffi Balian, talked of the
need to hire harm reduction workers who have had first-hand
experience. He knows whereof he speaks and he had a bullet-point
presentation.

One example: "A useful model for harm reduction is unlikely to come
from anyone but a user."

Bullet point taken.

He also said that addicts perform all sorts of harm reduction as a
matter of practical course:

"We exchange information about drugs; we use each other's homes to do
drugs safely; we look after other people's kids or pets when they get
busted, or when they are withdrawing; we teach new users how to
inject; we share methadone when necessary."

Take a deep breath.

If we could stop the flow of drugs we would have done so long ago. All
we've done is mess around, ineffectually, with the supply. The result?
Dealers get rich and jails get full.

Funny, but we create more addicts when we stem the supply of
marijuana; when weed dries up, the dealers offer free samples of
crack. If we can't stop people from using, we might as well help
people stay alive, and keep them as healthy as we can.

A woman asked Raffi if we might see harm reduction programs spread
throughout the city, to places like Scarborough. He said, "I'm an
optimistic person." There was laughter.

After a report on the state of finances - modest - and accomplishments
- - impressive, including a speakers series, meetings, public education,
overdose prevention workshops and so on - there were elections. Four
spots open, eight people running.

David said, "I worked on an ongoing inquiry into the drug trade."
Chantal said, "I absolutely believe in what this board does. It's
important to have a strong voice. I have a strong voice." Dale said,
"I've been on the board for two years ... it's hard to believe we do
such great work on such a limited budget."

Cheryl said, "I'm an injection drug user. I've worked in the field for
20 years. I'm a volunteer at a needle exchange. I'm super-committed to
seeing that the board has a drug-user rep." Ruth said, "I've worked in
harm reduction for 13 years - methadone, harm reduction housing,
needle exchange; harm reduction makes my heart sing in the morning."

Peter works at the John Howard Society. Dawn co-ordinated a needle
exchange in Kitchener-Waterloo. Adam is new to harm reduction but he
is plugged into the bathhouse scene, the S/M scene, the party drugs
scene; it was, he said, important for everyone to have a voice.

Four were elected.

I'm like Raffi. Optimistic.