ENDING CRACK-PIPE PROGRAM IS WRONG

Re: Council kills crack pipe program, July 12.

As a resident of the Sandy Hill neighbourhood that initiated the
protest against the program, I respectfully disagree with my friends
and neighbours. Discontinuing the crack-pipe program will not end the
use of crack and other addictive drugs.

Our neighbourhood will continue to attract drug users who access
services, particularly from the church at Cumberland Street and Daly
Avenue. I don't think they will be any happier coming upon home-made
crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia and encountering drug deals
and usage on their lawns, porches and foyers.

In the longer term, Ottawa can expect an increase in new infections of
HIV and hepatitis C and taxpayers across the city will be able to pay
the heavy costs -- financial and social -- of this short-sighted decision.

These neighbours are tolerant of the problems associated with downtown
living. Their problems need to be heard and addressed in a meaningful
manner. Instead, they have been misled by the cynical and misguided
views of the police and politicians about the effects of
harm-reduction programs.

This knee-jerk reaction, flying in the face of all empirical and
expert opinion, will only cost us all in the long term and do nothing
to provide assistance to the neighbourhood in the short term.

Martha Scott

Ottawa