OPEN MIND URGED ON DRUG SITES

It won't be until March the AIDS Society of Kamloops finds out whether
or not it will get a city grant to do research on the possibility of
establishing a safe injection site in the community.

That's when the social planning council will make recommendations to
city council on social planning grants. The final decision rests with
elected officials.

"I don't think it's anybody's business until it's approved," planning
council member Ray Jolicoeur said during Wednesday's meeting of the
city's community action team.

Mayor Mel Rothenburger had asked if it would be OK to comment on the
grant application.

"It's just an application for funds," added Jolicoeur.

"If it's approved I'm sure we'll have a lot to deal with," he said,
recognizing the debate over safe injection sites for drug addicts is
charged.

The request from the AIDS society is to do a community assessment to
determine whether or not Kamloops needs a site. "If the assessment
says we don't need a safe injection site, that's where it ends," said
Ken Salter, an outreach worker with the society.

Following Wednesday's meeting, Rothenburger said he's open to having a
community assessment done. The question, however, is who is the proper
group to do the study.

He even wonders whether or not the social planning council would
consider looking at a funding application of its own given a
parliamentary committee recommended this week the federal government
push ahead with a national drug strategy for reducing all drug use. It
also recommended the implementation of safe injection sites in the
country. Health Canada has already said it would like to see pilot
sites established in major centres such as Vancouver.

Rothenburger, meanwhile, says it's important to keep an open
mind.

"It's such a controversial issue. People outrightly reject it because
they see it as pandering to the needs of drug addicts."