CITY A HUB FOR DRUGS

Kamloops is a Hub For the Interior When It Comes to Illicit Drug Use

Grace House, a worker with the SHOP (Social and Health Opportunities for
People in the Sex Trade) program, told those gathered at a community forum
Thursday that Kamloops sees an ongoing in-and-out of street- and
drug-entrenched transients. They come from Vernon and Prince George, make
their way to Vancouver, and go back and forth.

"Right now we have an influx of cocaine use."

The forum followed the second screening of the documentary film Fix: The
Story of An Addicted City at the Paramount Theatre in Kamloops, which drew
close to 500 people. The film follows the struggle for a safe injection
site for Vancouver's Eastside during an 18-month period. While there is
space now set aside, federal dollars and federal approval still have to
come for it to open.

Those involved in a panel at Thursday's screening were asked why there is a
wait in Canada when some European countries moved ahead with safe injection
sites more than a decade ago?

"They're not neighbours with the United States that has a huge war on
drugs," said outreach worker Ken Salter, speaking of how politically risky
a decision toward drug reform could potentially be for Canada.

A Vancouver street worker noted even in those jurisdictions, it didn't just
happen, but was a long, arduous process.