HEALTH REGION ADMITS CONSULTATION MISSING

Health officials are sorry they weren't more frank about a free crack
pipe distribution program.

Alan Campbell, Vancouver Island Health Authority's mental health and
addiction services director, says VIHA should have told the city
about its "safer crack pipe" program before starting it.

"There was some reaction locally, I understand, when that came to
light and we really do regret not taking the opportunity to consult
with local municipal officials," Campbell said.

City council learned about the program through a citizen's
complaint.

"We should have [explained it] from the beginning," Campbell said.
"But, having said that, I think now that we've had a couple meetings
with council and the mayor in Nanaimo and so we're continuing to
review that initiative and we expect to have an evaluation complete
sometime later this year."

Health officials say handing out free kits containing, among other
things, crack pipes with removable mouthpieces, could reduce disease
transmission.

The kits are useful for public health nurses to connect with a group
at high risk for HIV and hepatitis B.

Coun. Merv Unger said he wants to address the greater problem of
Nanaimo's growing homeless population, made up largely of drug
addicts and people with mental health issues.

"I want to go beyond free crack pipes and needles - I want them to go
into hospital and whatever, for treatment," Unger said.

Social workers counted some 300 homeless people in Nanaimo last July
and VIHA estimates 70 per cent of those likely have mental illness.

Unger said the problem originated in the mid-1980s, with the
provincial policy to close mental hospitals and fixing it will take
help from the province.

"VIHA has to have facilities," he said.

"You can't just dump 200 people on them and we have to go after the
provincial government and say: 'Hey, the time has come. Let's go
beyond, and get something done.'"

Maj. Martin McCarter of the Salvation Army agrees housing is a key
part of the problem.

"It will be an escalating problem ... because there is not sufficient
housing for people - affordable housing," McCarter said.

John Horn, city of Nanaimo social planner, said more and better
services would likely reduce strain on the Esplanade-Nicol Street
area.

"If you didn't need food and shelter, you wouldn't hang in front of
the Salvation Army all day," Horn said. "You would be able to thin it
out a bit."

Unger said neighbours can't reasonably expect the Salvation Army to
enforce the good-neighbour agreement. "How do you enforce an
agreement that says we're going to be good guys - what control does
the Salvation Army have of its clients," he said.