City, police chief agree to crack-pipe compromise

Ottawa's medical officer of health has agreed to not distribute crack kits to anyone under the age of 18, after pressure from police Chief Vince Bevan.

The city started distributing the free kits at the beginning of April. They contain everything needed to smoke a rock of crack, including lip balm for chapped or burned lips and mints to create saliva.

The program is an extension of the harm reduction program that includes a needle exchange. It's meant to reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among the city's inveterate drug users.

Bevan protested the city program loudly, saying it sends the wrong message to youth. He also sought a legal opinion about whether those handing out the kits are breaking the law. But Bevan agreed stand down, as long as the kits were only available to adults.

• FROM APRIL 22, 2005: Crack-pipe program survives review

Starting Wednesday, no one under the age of 18 will have access to the city's free crack pipes.

While not ideal, Dr. Robert Cushman says the compromise is worth it.

"For someone who's addicted to crack at the age of 17, who's HIV and hepatitis C-free, it's scary," said Cushman. "But again, as I said earlier, this opportunity, this compromise, and with the support of the politicians, we'll be able to maintain more than 99 per cent of this program, and then we can move on to look at greater drug issues that are confronting us in our community."

Cushman agreed to the compromise because he was afraid the entire program would be lost if some restrictions weren't put in place.

Cushman, Mayor Bob Chiarelli , and Chief Bevan met Monday with a group of community and health leaders to talk about an integrated drug strategy for the city to combat drug addiction. Then on Tuesday, the mayor formally anounced the formation of a working group on the issue.

The mayor said the group's work is more necessary than ever because there is a "tsunami" of drugs heading towards the city, referring to crystal meth, the newest drug to hit Ottawa's streets.

• INDEPTH: Crystal Meth FAQs

"The debate over crack pipes was controversial but necessary for our community," Chiarelli said Tuesday in a release announcing the group's formation. "It has provided our city with a wake-up call on the lack of resources and treatment options that are available to drug users."

Still, city Coun. Shawn Little didn't want to give up his fight to dismantle the crack-pipe program. He presented a motion to that effect at council Wenesday.

Little even questions the needle exchange program, which has been around for years. "I'd like to do a deeper analysis and see whether or not we should be reconsidering that program as well," said Little.

City council sidestepped the issue, voting to forward the issue to the newly formed working group on drugs.

Aside from Bevan and Cushman, other members of the working group include: Dr. Jack Kitts, the Ottawa Hospital; Dr. Simon Davidson, CHEO; Robert Laviolette, Maison Fraternit; Bruce Marshall, University of Ottawa Health Services; Barb MacKinnon, CAS; and Marguerite Keeley, Centre Town Community Health Centre.