CRACK PIPE SHOWDOWN SET

Top Cop, Doctor To Square Off As Committee Revisits Freebie Issue

IT'S TIME for a showdown. Two of the city's best known public servants will
take their backroom fight over crack pipes public today.

The city's medical officer of health, Dr. Robert Cushman, and police chief
Vince Bevan have spent the last few weeks arming themselves with evidence
to bolster their cases over whether handing out crack pipes to drug addicts
is a good idea.

The city began handing out the pipes weeks ago in hopes of stemming the
spread of HIV and hep C.

As police struggled to find a legal opinion over whether the devices
violate the Criminal Code, Cushman has pulled in letters of support.

"This is a classic clash between two different parts of the city," said
Coun. Diane Deans. "One is the police service which is dealing with the
safety of the community. Our medical officer of health has quite a
different set of issues he's responsible for. He's responsible for public
health."

The plan to hand out the pipes was first announced last October. But after
recent public and media outcry, two of the councillors who sit on the
committee that allowed the plan to move forward now say they want to
reconsider the idea.

"I think any microscopic gains we may make on the HIV side will be more
than wiped out on the drug-use side of public health," Coun. Rick Chiarelli
said, adding that his dissent on the issue wasn't noted.

Deans was also on the committee that allowed the pipes to pass but now says
the police chief's opposition has caused her to reconsider.

They have asked for the issue to be reconsidered at this morning's health,
recreation and social services committee.

DUBIOUS DISTINCTION

But Coun. Diane Holmes, chairwoman of the committee, said she has heard the
debate before and believes Ottawa needs a program to deal with the "epidemic."

Holmes said the city has the dubious distinction of the worst rate of HIV
and AIDS in the province and needs to get a handle on diseases in the
drug-using population.

"Really what these people are saying is let these diseases increase until
they go from the drug-using population to the general population," Holmes
said of critics.

Front-line police officers say the pipes, which have been handed out on
city streets for several weeks, have been showing up in raids on crack
houses. The goal of the program is to provide the kits to crack users so
they have personal pipes but some users are not following the directions.

"The crackers are sharing them," said one officer.