HEALTH MINISTER DEFENDS HARM REDUCTION PILOT PROJECT

Minister of Health George Abbott defended B.C.'s harm reduction
approach to addiction treatment while stopped in Kelowna Friday.

Asked about local debate on the St. Paul's transitional housing
project, Abbott said the province adopts a harm reduction approach to
homeless mental health and addictions treatment because it's the best
approach to help the disenfranchised access the system.

"We need to meet the people afflicted by addictions on terms that work
for them, not terms that work for the government," he said.

"We need to meet people's needs where they are and how they
are.

"For us to think that everybody is going to respond to a particular
model probably would be naive on our part.

"We need to have a spectrum of services in place that do provide all
people afflicted with addictions with the opportunity to respond to
counselling."

On hand for the one-on-one media interviews held in the Interior
Health Authority's corporate offices, Abbott's comments were seconded
by IHA board chairman Alan Dolman.

"You can imagine how hard it is to live in an environment where you
can't bath, you've had your things stolen, you may have had you're ID
stolen and yet we'd like you to give up your addiction," said Dolman.

He emphasized the approach is about getting people set up in a place
where health professionals can help them succeed in making life changes.

The comments round out a week which saw business professionals who
oppose a housing project call a public meeting in The Grand Hotel to
blast the chosen location and harm reduction approach to the project,
labeled a wet facility as clients would not be requried to be
instantly abstinent as they enter treatment.

The City of Kelowna and Interior Health Authority received a
$5-million provincial grant for the project, with $4.5 million
allocated to the transitional housing site and $500,000 dedicated to
moving the Gospel Mission.