ANOTHER CRACK AT THE ISSUE

It's enough to make you wonder if members of Ottawa city council are
smoking something strange.

Six months after giving tacit approval to a program that will provide
free drug paraphernalia to crack addicts, councillors now say they're
going to reconsider the program.

The city has no choice but to review its position, says Mayor Bob
Chiarelli, in the face of public and police protest.

"I think it's a decision for council and I would like to see a public
debate and I would like to see council deliberate on this issue," says
Chiarelli. "There are strong arguments to be made on both sides."

Having the citizenry buy into a municipal initiative is a good idea,
we'll agree, but why wasn't consultation done before the program was
launched, instead of now?

Did none of the members of the city's health, recreation and social
services committee -- a committee that includes councillors Diane
Deans and Rick Chiarelli, two of the people now calling for
reconsideration -- realize that the program to dole out free equipment
to users of illegal drugs was going to stir strong emotions?

Didn't anyone think to bring in both Police Chief Vince Bevan and the
city's medical officer of health, Robert Cushman, before the crack
pipe program was launched to hear their arguments, pro and con?

Frankly, we're inclined to side with Bevan on this one. The chief,
whose officers have to enforce the drug laws, says handing out free
crack pipes is only making it easier for drug users to get their fix
and will ultimately come back to haunt the community.

"I see this as an initiative that enables drug use and I fear that we
will be picking up these kits on streets, in parks and school yards,"
Bevan warned.

His position puts the chief sharply at odds with Cushman, who argues
that the free pipe program will cut down on the spread of infectious
diseases like hepatitis C.

Cushman's plan has drawn a huge outcry from members of the public who,
like us, can't understand why the city would make it safer and easier
to use an illegal drug instead of doing more to wipe it out.

But what's truly frustrating is council's inability to make a decision
and then stick with it. Unfortunately, the crack pipe debate follows
an all too familiar pattern where councillors reverse themselves as
soon as the going gets tough.

Members of council were elected -- and are well paid -- to implement
policies that will benefit the community at large. They serve us
poorly when they try to govern according to the latest shift in
opinion polls.