TASK FORCE SAYS DRUGS A HEALTH ISSUE

THE North Shore Task Force on Substance Abuse wants us to pull out of the
U.S.-style war on drugs and move towards an integrated, health-oriented
approach adopted by several European cities.

The task force is recommending that the North Shore adopt what is known as
the four-pillar approach to dealing with issues around substance abuse.

In essence, the approach shifts the emphasis from dealing with substance
abuse as a criminal issue to dealing with it as primarily a health issue.
The four pillars referred to are prevention, treatment, enforcement and
harm reduction.

While each of these areas have specific programs and services, the approach
also emphasizes the need for co-operation and co-ordination between the
programs and groups involved.

Darrell Mussatto, a North Vancouver City councillor who also works as a
paramedic, is glad to see the recognition of a substance abuse problem on
the North Shore.

Said Mussatto, "It's very much needed. Drug abuse is alive and well in
North Vancouver." Mussatto said that as a paramedic "We see them at a
crisis point_ We take them to hospital and they get treated for the
immediate crisis and then released. It is like a revolving door.

"We need a system where we can intercept these people and treat them on an
ongoing basis and before it is a crisis, and we need to deal with them in a
more humane way."

Mussatto believes that there will be other benefits as well.

"I think you are going to see a corresponding decrease in crime."

According to the draft strategy report, "Drug-related offences have
increased steadily since 1997 from 121 that year to 494 in 2000, an
increase of 250 per cent." The report also said there were 134
heroin-related offences on the North Shore in 1999.

The task force itself consists of representatives from the City of North
Vancouver, the Districts of North Vancouver and West Vancouver, Bowen
Island, Lions Bay, West and North Vancouver school districts and
representatives from the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

According to Craig Keating, chairman of the task force, the various
councils and school boards are currently considering the draft strategy and
implementation plan and they hope to begin hiring a co-ordinator sometime
this spring.

Keating said the co-ordinator's job would be to first assess what is out
there already. "We need to know what is being done, where we are
duplicating services, where there are gaps. The co-ordinator's job will be
to get a bird's eye view and co-ordinate the programs we already do have as
well as to co-ordinate devising and establishing new programs."

In terms of prevention, Keating argued that the "just say no option is just
not reaching kids. We need to go beyond DARE." And he said that they would
be looking at someone other than the police to deliver the message.

"Can you honestly expect cops to go in and talk to kids about drugs and not
carry with them some judgment? What we heard from youth is that we need to
have a more health-based approach when we are talking about drugs. They
want answers to questions like 'What is the drug going to do? Is it
addictive? What are some of the possible risks?'

"The real issue here is what is safe and healthy, not good and bad."

Keating said that kids spot inconsistencies in our moral approach. "I don't
think they are terribly convinced by people saying 'Just say no' who then
go home and have three scotch."

At the same time Keating said that the task force recognizes the need for
enforcement. "Enforcement is there because as much as substance abuse is a
health issue, there are people out there who exploit it in a criminal way.
This part of the problem is a criminal problem. It is about people trying
to do violence to another person."

As far as treatment goes, Keating fears that the options may be limited as
a result of the provincial government freeze on health care spending.

Said Keating, "There is a huge question mark over what we are going to be
able to do. Rehab and detox are big-ticket items we will not be able to
carry alone. The old health region had already been told it would have to
cut $20 million dollars out of the old budget."

Still, Keating is willing to consider other options. "We may be able to
explore the group home model, which has a low-cost infrastructure."

The harm reduction component of the program may include the establishment
of a needle exchange and condom distribution. Keating said that the task
force is considering the possibility of a mobile needle exchange.

All three North Shore councils have voted to endorse the implementation plan.

Coun. Allan Williams, who represents the municipality on the task force,
said that they hope to find ways to take advantage of the federal
government's support for drug courts.

Williams referred to the downtown problem as an example of why a new
approach is necessary. "They've got East Vancouver, which is an exhibit of
what can go wrong_"

Williams said the difference on the North Shore is that the addiction is
more hidden. He said the task force also wants to address the lesser-known
problems such as abuse of prescription medications by various sectors of
the population including seniors.

The $100,000 cost of the implementation plan is being covered by the
municipalities and school boards, with North Vancouver City and District
and the District of West Vancouver contributing $30,000 each; the North
Vancouver and West Vancouver school districts contributing $2,500 each; the
Health Region contributing $3,000; Bowen Island, $2,200 and Lions Bay, $900.