WE NEED WISE POLICIES, NOT A WAR ON DRUGS

Re: Hard to crack addiction, May 8.

The board of the AIDS Committee of Ottawa stands with the views
expressed in the Citizen's editorial, and is alarmed by the May 23
news article, "Tories set to unleash get-tough drug policy." Any drug
strategies Ottawa builds federally or city-wide must be a "made in
Ottawa solution," providing lessons from all previously learned "best
practices" of the many perspectives that contribute to a healthy community.

We see the lives saved and altered by the adoption of a harm-reduction
approach. The University of Ottawa presented a study that indicates an
astounding reduction in the numbers of HIV/hepatitis C transmissions
in a few short years. Since the city embraced the distribution of the
crack-pipes program, more than 30 transmissions are prevented in one
year.

In Vancouver, there is a groundswell of community support at all
levels for continuing the operations of the safe injection site
(InSite). Published, peer-reviewed research proves: an increase of
referrals to drug treatment; no increase of drug use or related crime;
70 per cent less needle sharing; and attraction of the highest-risk
users - those more likely to be vulnerable to HIV infection.

Harm reduction provides an opportunity to help individuals deal with
their issues, educate them and over a longer period alleviate their
habit. On the other hand, demand reduction is important but if adopted
as a sole strategy, it can have detrimental effects on both the
individual and society. It creates an underground system and people
will be afraid to seek services and put others and themselves at risk.

Ottawa needs to adopt its own strategy but recognize that there will
be advantages and disadvantages. More important, it needs to involve
the community and even the drug users themselves in developing their
own strategy.

We stand with your editorial on the urgency of developing and
adopting, wise, proven solutions to a very complicated issue and not
adopt the proven costly, counterproductive "war on drugs" inspired by
the U.S. approach.

Kevin Hatt,

Ottawa

Chair of the Board,

The AIDS Committee of Ottawa