PROVINCE TO FUND CRACK-PIPE PROGRAM IN CITY

Access to free, clean crack pipes in Ottawa will continue next year
despite the city's opposition to the controversial program.

Jack McCarthy, director of the Somerset West Community Health Centre,
confirmed Friday in a conversation with a Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care spokesman that the province will fund the program
without city involvement.

"The minister is committed to funding this program," Mr. McCarthy
said, adding he is pleased with the news.

The province will provide $287,000 to run the crack pipe program in
2008. The money will go toward paying for two outreach workers,
transportation and supplies. Mr. McCarthy said he hopes the funding
will be made permanent.

The goal of the crack-pipe program is to reduce the sharing of used
crack pipes in order to curb the spread of diseases such as hepatitis
C and HIV.

In July, Councillor Rick Chiarelli introduced a motion to kill the
program, arguing there was no evidence to prove it had reduced
communicable diseases in the city. Mayor Larry O'Brien has also said
crack addicts need help, not supplies.

But, at the time, Councillor Clive Doucet disagreed. "We just voted to
basically kill six to 12 people a year," he said. The motion passed by
a 15-7 vote.