HARM REDUCTION CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON RISKY BEHAVIOUR

A conference targeted at both those who undertake risky behaviour
like sex trade work, use drugs or live on the street and those who
provide services to them is set to come to Lethbridge for the first time.

The seventh annual Alberta Harm Reduction Conference, running Feb.
14-15 at the Lethbridge Lodge, is expected to attract some 250 people
from Alberta and British Columbia and is being hosted by the
Lethbridge HIV Connection and the Provincial Non-Prescription Needle
Use Consortium.

The conference will look at topics ranging from how to improve
homeless people's health and risky behaviours among non-injection
crack-cocaine smokers to looking at methodone maintenance and the war
on drugs in Canada.

Helene Wirzba, the executive director of the Lethbridge HIV
Connection, says harm reduction can be defined as any activity that
reduces the risk of a potentially dangerous activity. In the case of
driving, a seat belt is an example of harm reduction measure.

"This conference is going to focus more on activities that put people
at risk of HIV and hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections.
So mainly intravenous drug use and the sex trade work," Wirzba says.

"Harm reduction is about reducing the risk that people take but also
meeting people in a non-judgmental way, where they are right now, and
working with them and offering them small steps that they can take to
make the risks smaller for them and others."

Wirzba describes the conference, which is being held for the first
time in Lethbridge, as a mix of new trends, science and passion.

"If you do that kind of work you need to have passion, not just do it
because it's your profession," says Wirzba. "When you talk about
addictions you talk about ups and downs. So we need to have passion
in order to do our job."

Wirzba says the conference offers an opportunity for both service
providers and those who use the services to network with each other.
Cost is $150 to attend both days or $65 for students. For more
information go to www.albertaharmreduction.ca.