FORUM BACKS INTEGRATED APPROACH TO DRUGS

Speakers Say Addiction's Human Cost As Important As Criminal Issue

A community-wide approach with full co-operation from all levels of
government is what Metro Vancouver needs to deal with its drug and
crime problems, according to most speakers at a forum at Hollyburn
Country Club in West Vancouver.

Thursday's forum, entitled Dealing With Your Drug Problem, was part
of the Future of the Region discussion series, and featured four
experts speaking on region-wide solutions to drug addiction and
associated crime.

Broadcaster Rafe Mair mediated a discussion between the panelists and
a crowd of about 60 people, including local politicians such as City
of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto, West Vancouver Mayor Pam
Goldsmith-Jones, and North Vancouver MP Don Bell.

Speaker Sherry Mumford, manager of addictions programs for the Fraser
Health Authority, said that drug addiction is too often dealt with as
a criminal justice issue, while human costs and health-care concerns
are secondary.

Mumford stressed that the best approach would deal with drug
addiction from every angle. "We need a health and criminal justice
agenda, not health versus criminal justice agenda," she said.

A change in perception is also necessary. Mumford said that drug
users are often seen as evil and below the rest of society. To find a
solution to addiction, we need to realize, "that these people are
citizens of our community," she said.

It's not enough to send an addict to a 28-day program, Mumford said.
They need support from their communities, and that can only come with
co-operation between departments and ministries at all levels of government.

Simon Fraser Criminology professor Ray Corrado suggested that
prevention is a more useful approach than enforcement, and advocated
an approach that would combine social housing, education, health care
and justice to target at-risk children when they are still very young.

Corrado presented evidence from interviews with more than 1,000 youth
involved in the criminal justice system, and explained that warning
signs for addiction and criminal behaviour can be found before a
child is even born. He cited binge drinking and glue sniffing by
parents as two risk factors.

"You don't become an addict magically at 18," Corrado said.

Addiction isn't about bad people making bad choices, Corrado said,
"it's a crisis of parenting, a crisis of community."

Dave Park, the former assistant managing director and chief economist
for the Vancouver Board of Trade, agreed that intervening in problem
cases works best when it can be done early.

Park also stressed the economic price of drug addiction. He said many
addicts turn to property crime to support their habits, and property
crime is costing Vancouver a total of $125 million each year. The
total yearly police budget is $149 million.

Besides advocating a preventative approach to drug addiction and
crime, Park said that drug-related crime programs must focus on
dealing with chronic offenders, who return to prison time after time
for similar crimes.

The only panelist who seemed to disagree with an integrated approach
was Wallace Craig, a former provincial court judge and North Shore
News columnist. Craig instead advocated what he called "tough love":
better enforcement of drug laws, tougher sentences for drug
possession and drug-related crimes, and forced detox and treatment.

Craig called Vancouver an "international disgrace," and suggested
that Vancouver's streets are crawling with violent "Clockwork Orange
youth." He warned the other Metro Vancouver municipalities not to,
"let the City of Vancouver drive the rest of you down."