PIPE PLAN SCRAPPED

Council Votes Down Controversial Program

The city's controversial crack pipe program is up in smoke after
being scrapped by council.

Council voted 15-7 yesterday to drop a program that critics say
promotes illegal drug use, despite an appeal by Ottawa's chief
medical officer to retain a plan that proponents claim reduces the
spread of disease among addicts.

"It's about reducing disease and it's effective," said chief medical
officer Dr. David Salisbury. "It would be a regressive step if we
were to cancel it."

But opponents argued that handing out crack pipes sends the wrong
message to the community.

"I say giving out loot bags to facilitate drug use is not harm
reduction," said Mayor Larry O'Brien, who backed a motion by Coun.
Rick Chiarelli to kill the more than two-year-old program.

Calling the crack pipe program "foolishness," O'Brien said he wants
Ottawa to focus on enforcement and education while building better
rehabilitation facilities. One recommendation approved by council is
to move forward with a 48-bed residential youth treatment facility.

"I'll be talking to the province about getting some funding for the
treatment facility," said O'Brien.

Supporters of the program, which costs about $8,200 annually to
administer, believe providing clean pipes and other drug
paraphernalia to addicts stems infectious diseases, such as HIV and
hepatitis C. The program was part of an overall harm-reduction
strategy that includes a provincially mandated needle exchange program.

Diane Holmes, one of seven dissenting councillors, believes council
made a political decision that ignores the program's health benefits.

"HIV is a killing disease and the exposure will go up if we don't
provide clean paraphernalia," she said.

Activists quickly condemned the decision, framing the provision of
crack kits to addicts as an issue of public health and human rights.

"The perception that this program somehow condoned or encouraged drug
use is completely false," said Richard Elliott, deputy director of
the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. "When the city started this
program, it was aiming to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Today's decision is a huge step backwards."

But Chiarelli said the city had been sending the message that it
tacitly condones drug use. And he rejected arguments the program
reduced the risks of disease, suggesting clean pipes are passed among
users after their initial use.

"This doesn't pass the laugh test," Chiarelli said, adding the rest
of the city's drug strategy is effective and will provide treatment options.