MOVIE OFFERS ADDICTION FIX

The blight may not be as visible as on the notorious streets of Vancouver,
but injection drug addiction is a reality here which cannot be ignored, says
an AIDS worker. Fix: The Story of an Addicted City, a powerful and graphic
documentary re-cently nominated for a Genie Award, premieres in Calgary
today.

"It is a depiction of what's happening in Vancouver, but it does speak
to the issues around injection drug use and the potential approaches
you can take in dealing with the issues from a realistic perspective,"
said Garth Goertz, acting director of AIDS Calgary Awareness
Association.

" 'Just Say No to Drugs' doesn't work, we need to be able to work with
communities so we are with them, not against them."

Fix focuses on the severe drug problem in Vancouver -- the first city
in North America to open a controversial safe injection site.

But the documentary warns substance abuse is a growing problem in
every community.

There are an estimated 3,000 opiate addicts in Calgary.

Showings of Fix will be followed by a 50-minute public forum which
includes a panel of health professionals, outreach workers and central
figures from FIX to discuss the issue here in Calgary.

It runs at the Globe Cinema until April 1.