GAMBLING PROFITS COULD BE SLOTTED INTO ADDICTIONS PREVENTION

A city report on Vancouver's drug problem recommends municipalities
with casinos contribute some of their gaming profits to establish a
centre to prevent drug use and to tackle problem gambling.

The creation of the Municipal Prevention Institute is the first
recommendation in a lengthy report written by Donald MacPherson, the
city's drug policy coordinator.

Though a recommendation regulating the sale of marijuana garnered
national headlines when the report was released last Wednesday,
MacPherson sees the proposed institute as an equally important step to
curtailing drug use.

"Without strengthening local prevention infrastructure, the rest is
all academic," MacPherson told the Courier. "We're saying, 'You've got
to do prevention with legal drugs, illegal drugs-with all
substances.'"

The gambling component of the institute was requested by Mayor Larry
Campbell, MacPherson said. Since funds from gaming would be used to
create the institute, it only makes sense that problem gambling would
also be addressed, he said.

The report's plan calls for municipalities to give 10 per cent of
revenue from gaming to create the institute. MacPherson pointed out
that B.C. municipalities received $137 million from 2002 to 2005 in
gaming revenues.

Ten per cent of that total would mean roughly $13 million could be
used to create an endowment fund to help pay for research and programs
at the institute.

Start-up costs and a location haven't been discussed.

Vancouver already has one casino with 600 slot machines-Edgewater at
the Plaza of Nations-and Hastings Racecourse will add 600 slots in the
late fall or early next year.

Though the debate continues over gambling, MacPherson said gambling is
part of society in B.C., and the city wants to address problem gambling.

"We're accepting gambling as a fact, we're trying to regulate it, tax
it and use some of those revenues to deal with some of those problems."

The city, meanwhile, has hired a consultant to research what types of
drug prevention programs exist in the city. So far, the research
indicates more programs are needed, which is further evidence why an
institute is necessary, MacPherson said.

"There's been a tremendous focus on tobacco, and that's fine, that's
OK. But in terms of other aspects of prevention, I would say the field
is in disarray."

MacPherson delivered his report, Preventing Harm from Psychoactive
Substance Use, to city council yesterday, after the Courier's
deadline. The report will also be discussed today when the Four
Pillars Coalition meets at the Italian Cultural Centre.

When the report was released last week, MacPherson said he knew the
focus would be on the recommendation that calls for the legalization
and taxation of marijuana.

"It means we would create a legal regulated market. Either we regulate
it, or organized crime regulates. It seems absurd for us to allow
organized crime to continue to regulate this substance."

The Vancouver police department has taken a "neutral" position on the
report, although Police Chief Jamie Graham has said many times he
believes marijuana is a "gateway drug" to heroin, cocaine and other
drugs.

"Don't get me wrong," MacPherson added. "Drugs are dangerous, but they
should be regulated. It's not that we don't think cannabis is dangerous."

Public consultation on the report will occur over the summer before it
returns to council for approval.