POLICE CHIEF IS ILL-INFORMED

Re: Fund drug prevention, not drug use, July 28.

The views of Ottawa police Chief Vince Bevan are not informed by research
evidence and practical experience, and must be challenged.

Safe or supervised injection sites are well established in a number of
European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and
Switzerland, as well as Australia and most recently Vancouver. Observations
and studies have indicated that they contribute to a decline in criminality
and public nuisance problems (i.e. injecting in a public place, drug
dealing, etc.), reduce high-risk behaviours such as needle sharing and
unsafe sex, and also reduce overdose and drug-related deaths. Crucially,
they can also provide a gateway to substance- abuse treatment and other
needed health and social services.

Most jurisdictions with well-developed drug strategies recognize the need
for a balanced approach that incorporates harm-reduction approaches
together with prevention, treatment and enforcement. Examples include
Canada's national drug strategy, Vancouver's drug strategy and the drug
strategies of Australia and a number of European countries.

I would hope that positive public concern about illicit drug use and the
harm it can cause to individuals, their families and the community would
result in support for the development of a balanced and integrated drug
strategy for Ottawa.

Virginia Carver, Ottawa

Ms. Carver is a private consultant in addiction in Ottawa and has worked
for 30 years in the field.