ONLY ONE PILLAR GETTING ATTENTION

A Victoria city councillor cautions that support for distribution of
clean crack pipes is conditional on a four-pillars approach to drug
use. I could agree to that logic, as long as the city and police apply
the same assessment to funding of the other pillars, particularly
enforcement.

Last week, we again heard of increased arrests of people affected by
drugs, while the city and Vancouver Island Health Authority have yet
to follow through on funding of their own plans (developed four years
ago) which included distribution of crack pipes, 24/7 access to needle
exchange services and the business plan for supervised consumption
services.

Ever since the city, police and VIHA announced their four pillars
approach we have seen the enforcement pillar grow to great heights
while removing the foundation of harm reduction -- a fixed site needle
exchange.

This weekend marks a full year since the closure of the needle
exchange; I think it is time to balance the pillars.

Bruce Wallace

Victoria