CRACK PIPE DECISION STANDS BUT NEED FOR TREATMENT CITED

Many members of the public have been outraged at Courtenay City
Council's decision to support the provision of free crack pipes to
addicts as part of a harm reduction program.

Councillors on Tuesday related some of the negative feedback they had
received about their unanimous decision last month.

Councillor Manno Theos said there had been "a lot of fireworks" over
the decision and Coun. Jon Ambler said there were many letters and
calls from the public with little compassion for addicts and a lot of
annoyance that money was in short supply for other medical necessities.

Some councillors stressed they had offered a letter of support to the
Vancouver Island Health Authority for the harm reduction initiative,
but they had never seen it as an alternative to treatment.

On a split vote, council agreed to a fresh proposal by Coun.
Ronna-Rae Leonard that the council now write to the province "to
support more funding for drug addiction treatment and express
council's opinion that the harm reduction program is not in lieu of treatment."

Mayor Greg helps said it was well known that there were not enough
treatment beds for drug addicts. There was "a screaming need" for
more, as addiction was almost at epidemic levels.

And he cryptically reflected it was easier to defuse a bomb before it
went off than clear up the debris after an explosion.

There was no suggestion at the meeting that the original decision to
support the harm reduction program, including the issue of free crack
pipe paraphernalia, should be overturned.