THE SPREAD OF HIV AND HEP C

Re: "Off the crack pipes" (July 12). Personally, as a city resident,
I am not morally in support of the crack pipe distribution program.
With the $8,000 spent annually on this program, I would rather feed
hungry families, support shelters for the homeless or abused persons
or do something else that effectively creates a direct impact on our
community. Hmmm ... wait a minute, the spread of HIV and Hep C would
directly impact my community.

That being said, I couldn't believe what I was reading when I read
that a city committee had recommended spending $500,000 to study the
effectiveness of the pipe program.

I thoroughly understand the dichotomy of the issue and the opposing
moral question as to whether you are assisting in the use of drugs by
distributing crack pipes versus supporting less risk of the spread of
Hep C and HIV.

However, as a taxpayer, I can tell you, without a doubt, that I would
definitely rather turn $500,000 for research over to the pipe program
and let them use other social program's benchmarking processes to
monitor the program's effectiveness with the help of the city's
medical office of health. Do we really need to create a committee, a
sub-committee, a working group, an action group, a tiger team, etc.
to review this?

It's not rocket science. Don't we employ the city medical office for
a reason? Would taking their advice and direction on a medical issue
as paramount as this not seem an appropriate course of action?

Presumably at some point in the 62.5 years that $500,000 -- not
including the rate of inflation -- would fund such a social project,
somebody, somehow will recognize whether it is effective. And we just
may have saved a few lives in the process. Call me crazy.

Connie Robillard

Ottawa

(It does seem the effectiveness of a crack pipe program could be
gauged for less than $500,000)