CRACKING UP

The first call to The Citizen newsroom on Friday morning was from a
recovering addict who couldn't believe the needle exchange in Prince George
is handing out free crack pipes.

He was reacting to the front page story in Friday's Citizen about the AIDS
prevention and needle exchange program that has already handed out nearly
60 clean pipes from its Third Avenue office during the first week of its
campaign.

The addict said it's ridiculous what the exchange is doing, when he and
others are trying to get off drugs. He said the program is just making it
easier for drug users.

But Linda Keefe of the needle exchange hopes giving out clean crack pipes
to drug addicts will help combat a more complex problem -- the spread of
hepatitis C, a contagious disease that's prevalent among intravenous drug
users.

While Keefe's reasons are laudable, her method is questionable.

Do we really want to make it easier for crack users to light up?

The needle exchange makes sense. Providing clean needles to users will
undoubtedly help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

But crack pipes?

"It's not that we're saying, 'Hey, you should be smoking crack (cocaine).'
(But) you try to reduce harm, disease, and maximize contact with
marginalized groups and build relationships," Keefe said.

Keefe acknowledges the exchange program provides a "Band-Aid" remedy, but
said it's just one way to help.

Keefe said the latest project came about after health-care workers noticed
an increase in hepatitis C cases and, at the same time, began hearing about
children as young as 12 and 13 smoking crack cocaine.

When the needle exchange first opened, workers saw a number of young
teenagers who were shooting intravenous drugs, but Keefe said there's been
a shift among that age group to crack and crystal methamphetamine.

Obviously, we have a very serious problem in Prince George. But a more
effective answer to the problem than nice, clean, free crack pipes -- that
are likely much better than any homemade thing an addict could produce
while sweating for the next hit -- is parents.

If you don't know where your 12 or 13-year-old is half the time, if money
and valuables are constantly missing from your home, if they are
disinterested in almost everything and appear glassy eyed and stoned all
the time, then you have a child who is a drug addict. You can't ignore it
and hope it goes away. You have to take charge and clean them up, no matter
how much they fight you.

People like Keefe can help, call them at 564-1727.

Viewpoints by city editor Randall Heidt