PIPE DREAMS APLENTY

Critics Smoking Mad at Notion of Giving Addicts Crack Pipe
Kits

Critics are deriding an Alberta Health Services outreach program that
sees crack pipes distributed to the city's addicts.

Run by the AHS Safeworks Van since November 2008, the program sees
four-part kits -- made up of a pipe, mouthpiece, screens and cleaning
rod -- given to users along with education and health care services.

"I'm against it," said Art Sheeler, a longtime community activist in
Forest Lawn.

"You're not going to help (addicts) by giving them stuff to have their
drugs with.

"I think that's our whole damn problem, we're too damn easy on these
people."

Now in his 70s, Sheeler said he's seen the negative effects of drug
use in Forest Lawn and other areas of the city over the last 40 years
and thinks handing out crack pipes sends the wrong message.

"Right off the bat, (health officials) are telling us (drug use) is OK
I guess," he said.

"When have you ever heard it's OK to destroy your body?"

Medical officer of health for Calgary, Dr. Judy MacDonald, defended
the program, saying the goal is reducing the spread of disease rather
than enabling drug use.

"We realized in 2007 and 2008, there was a high risk client population
that was not accessing our services," she said.

"By offering (addicts) items they would need for safer crack use, they
would become clients of ours, we'd build a relationship with them and
be able to provide them with things that would keep them safer and
reduce the transmission of blood-born pathogens, specifically
Hepatitis C and HIV."

MacDonald said while it's nearly impossible to measure the success of
the program, she sees it as effective as the number of clients has
gone up each year.

"In 2009, there were 5,000 pipes distributed, in 2010 it was just
around 7,000 and to the end of June in 2011, 2,500 have been
distributed," she said.

Calgary and Winnipeg are among the only cities in the country to hand
out pipes to crack users.

The City of Vancouver is considering implementing a similar program
this fall, while the Winnipeg program could be re-evaluated if the
provincial Tories win the next election, said one candidate there, who
is also a former Addictions Foundation of Manitoba board member.

"My concern is the (Winnipeg Regional Health Authority) is paying to
subsidize addiction without any real benefit," said Ian Rabb, an
admitted former crystal meth addict running in Fort
Garry-Riverview.

Wildrose leader Danielle Smith weighed in on the issue while talking
to reporters Tuesday, saying harm reduction is good, but the focus
should be on treatment.

"To me when you're dealing with people who have addictions, you're
trying to assist them in getting free of their addictions rather than
enabling it," she said.

"There are so many good organizations and not-for-profit centres that
have worked with those who have addictions to be able to get them
clean with three, six and nine months program.

"Those are the kinds of ways in which the government can add value, by
partnering to help programs to be able to help people get over their
addictions."

Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky could not be reached for
comment.