HEALTH AUTHORITY SUSPENDS 'SAFER CRACK KITS' PLAN

The health authority's resolve has cracked in the face of angry
downtown Nanaimo residents.

Free "safer crack kits" could be back, but the Vancouver Island Health
Authority announced Tuesday it is temporarily halting the program
effective immediately.

Howard Waldner, Vancouver Island Health Authority CEO, said the
decision came in response to "escalating tensions" over the harm
reduction initiative and recent harassment of nurses carrying it out.

"Frankly, we're concerned about the safety of our nurses," said
Waldner.

The 96-cent kits - including a crack pipe, rubber mouth piece, condom,
screens and chewing gum - were implemented to cut the spread of
disease among drug users.

Residents and city officials learned of the program in late May - some
five months after it quietly began - after a citizen complained.

Many area residents became incensed they weren't told earlier and VIHA
later conceded the issue was mishandled - that the city and neighbours
should have been consulted.

Waldner admitted as much again Tuesday, although he reiterated support
for the nurses' initiative and the positive street-level impact for
minimal financial cost.

"There's no huge cost involved at all," he said. "The cost has been
the angst to the community."

The health authority isn't giving up on the program and hopes to
develop a broader harm reduction strategy for the city, in
co-operation with city hall and community stakeholders.

That process is expected to begin within weeks and be complete by the
end of summer, Waldner said.

"We hope it won't take long," he said.

VIHA will also be consulting with Dr. Perry Kendall, the provincial
health officer, regarding research supporting safer crack kits, which
Waldner said are in use in major centres such as Toronto, Winnipeg and
Vancouver.

James Younger, co-chairman of the Neighbours of Nob Hill community
association, said he's pleased with the decision to stop handing out
free crack pipes.

"I'm quite happy they've come to a realization that there's harm
reduction needed for the neighbours as well," Younger said.

Younger said the Nob Hill association isn't against harm reduction
initiatives, but stipulated "it needs to be behind closed doors. It
doesn't need to be done in the wide open."

Norm Abbey, another Nob Hill resident who brought the issue to the
public in May, agreed it's a good idea to put the program on hold, but
said the community still has questions.

In particular, Abbey said he'd like to see evidence backing harm
reduction strategies like the safer crack kits and where they're being
used.

He's also worried the new process won't include residents, given the
previous lack of consultation.

"We're already part of the discussion, the question is when are they
going to join the discussion?" Abbey said.