COST A BARRIER TO FREE PIPES FOR CRACK ADDICTS

The people behind the city's free needle program would love to start
handing out freebie glass pipes to Edmonton's crack addicts. But without a
hefty boost in Streetworks' annual government grant, the idea remains a
pipe dream.

"Sure we'd do it, if we had the funding," said Marliss Taylor, program
manager for the inner-city free needle program.

"It makes sense that crack pipes should be linked to the spread of
infections like hepatitis C and HIV. But what we know right now is that
injection drug use is a more important (disease vector), and we don't have
unlimited funding."

Health officials in Winnipeg recently started handing out infection control
kits to crack addicts, which include glass crack pipes, matches and lip balm.

Crack use breaks down mucus membranes and dehydrates the addict, leading to
cracked lips and mouth wounds that can offer hep C, HIV and other killer
diseases a route into the bloodstream. Many crack addicts share pipes,
increasing the chances of infection.

Taylor said a free pipe program wouldn't be difficult to set up in
Edmonton; there are medical supply companies that sell "harm-reduction"
drug paraphernalia, including lengths of glass pipe for crack use.

The whole philosophy of harm reduction, which tries to reduce disease
transmission by supplying addicts with sterile equipment, is still
controversial. Many politicians see the practice as encouraging hard drug use.

Taylor said she's aware that a free crack pipe program would be a hard sell
politically with their funding patrons, the provincial government and
Capital Health.

"I wouldn't be too hopeful, no," she said.

"Right now we've got a three-year deal with the province and Capital Health
to fund us about $413,000 a year, enough for 850,000 needles and four
staff. We can't afford anything else."