MP PRESSES FOR HARM REDUCTION DOLLARS

Fresh off addressing his G8 counterparts on how to solve the world's
health care crises, local MP Dr. Keith Martin remains more convinced
than ever that harm reduction is the best way to deal with
Victoria's addiction and homelessness crisis.

And he's urging fellow politicians of both the federal and
provincial variety to get with the program.

Martin, who addressed gathering of G8 parliamentarians in Berlin
last week, chastised the province for proposing to reallocate
$450,000 of AIDS Vancouver Island's budget to the Central and North
Island at a time when the organization faces significant financial challenges.

"The cuts that are taking place, the redistribution shuffle, it's
appalling," said Martin, the MP for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca.

"Just because there's a need in another part if the Island doesn't
mean you cut from this part of the Island."

Not only is AVI under pressure to find a new location for its
Cormorant Street needle exchange, it's trying to raise money for the
Access Health Centre, a comprehensive health clinic for low-income
and people, he said.

Last week, Martin issued a press release last week urging the
province and the federal government to "come to the table with the
resources to make the centre a reality."

The $4.6-million Access Health Centre, a partnership between AVI and
the Victoria Cool Aid Society, will replace the cramped health and
dental clinic facilities at Cool Aid's Store Street headquarters.
The facility will also include mental health services, addiction
treatment, a pharmacy and counselling and prevention programs.

Martin, a Liberal, noted that the Conservative federal government
"rejected a plea for a measly $150,000" for the centre and pointed
to the government's refusal to consider a safe injection site for
Victoria as further evidence of its indifference to harm reduction.

"They talking about getting tough on drugs, but they're not going to
put any money into harm reduction, and harm reduction is absolutely
essential to deal with substance abuse," Martin said.

A licensed physician, Martin maintains a keen interest in Africa's
AIDS crisis and has made more than two dozen trips to the continent
over the last decade.