TASK FORCE SCORES

IT is not often that agreement is reached between North Shore councils, let
alone on an issue as potentially explosive as drug abuse.

So, kudos to all involved for stickhandling the North Shore Task Force on
Substance Abuse into a position from which it may reach some important
goals. In addition to the three North Shore councils, Bowen Island and
Lions Bay participated on the task force along with representatives from
the North and West Vancouver school districts and the Squamish and
Tsleil-Waututh nations.

To come to consensus and then obtain political approval from all three
North Shore councils on an action plan that could include such things as a
mobile needle exchange is truly quite remarkable. But the biggest news in
this remarkable story is the shift in philosophical ground: the willingness
to move towards a health-oriented, harm-reduction approach in dealing with
the issues surrounding substance abuse.

The arguments for prevention, interception and treatment make sense
financially, whether or not you agree with them on moral grounds. It is
cheaper to intervene and treat an addict than to deal with the ongoing
medical expenses of emergencies that are a likely outcome of any habit. The
move should ultimately reduce policing and court costs too - at the very
least, addicts with a support system are unlikely to steal for their needs.

The first step on this road will be to assess what services we have in
place and where the gaps and overlaps are. Thereafter, we will eagerly
await implementation initiatives.