CITY SOON TO OFFER ADDICTS FREE GEAR

Program Aims To Stop Spread Of Hep C, HIV Among Users

A CITY program that hands out free needles to injection drug users
will soon begin distributing tourniquets, drug-cooking spoons and
mouthpieces for crack pipes. The new items are part of a strategy to
stop the spread of hepatitis C and HIV in a vulnerable population.

"This is a very cost-effective decision at the margins. If you make
more of (the paraphernalia) available you're reducing the risk," said
Ottawa's medical officer of health Dr. Robert Cushman.

'NOT AIDING' DRUG USE

"The science says you're not aiding and abetting (drug
use)."

The total cost of the expansion of the program is $2,500, split evenly
by the city and the province, compared to an estimated cost of $30,000
for one course of medication treatment for hep C sufferers, he said.

According to a report from Cushman given to the health, recreation and
social services committee "crack smoking appears to be an increasing
trend," in the city.

The report says the biggest problem for medical staff in the field of
harm reduction is the sharing of drug paraphernalia and the likelihood
of transmission through that sharing.

By distributing the cooking spoons, which are aluminum bottle caps
with a wire handle, the city hopes to provide a clean area for the
preparation of drugs.

The tourniquets are usually belts or a piece of clothing that are tied
around an arm to expose veins in a user's arm.

Studies have shown those implements can sometime be contaminated with
blood and viruses, which could be transmitted to another person using
the same device.

CURBING HIV

Cushman said the harm reduction program has seen some great gains in
reducing HIV transmission, but the city is losing ground on hep C,
which is much more contagious.

The contagious nature of the disease is reflected in the drug-using
population, according to the report.

"It is estimated that the prevalence rate of hep C is 75% among
Ottawa's injection drug users, as compared to a prevalence rate of 21%
for HIV in the same population," reads the report.

The city has had a harm reduction program offering medical help and
advice and free needles to drug users since 1991.

Cushman said the program has been successful and represents the only
social and health services drug users get.

It provides them with clean needles, but also puts them in contact
with heath professionals who can help them to get off drugs, he said.