http://news.nationalpost...pe-program-for-addicts/

Nice to see some progressive programs being green lit even with the conservative gov running things now.

I don't really know how I feel about this. My first reaction (if it were my taxes) would be outrage. Then.... If it lowers expense in the long run... I guess it's a little better.

Personally, I think that drugs should be downgraded in regard to severity of punishment(and legalize some) for basic possession and public intoxication. But.... Do I really need to pay for crackheads pipes? I can't get behind that one.

Having a hard time paying my over valued mortgage, struggling to put aside cash for kids and school..... I can't buy crack pipes for dope fiends

I'd rather see the budget o towards education

What´s the thought behind this? How would this help prevent addiction or how would this help people recovering from addcition?

This is basically a manifestation of harm reduction. I was just reading about this in Gabor Mate's book "In the realm of hungry ghosts."

There are many things that can and should be done to facilitate the essence of harm reduction, but this is just one of them.
The idea, in layman's terms, is to provide the addict with a safe and loving environment, so that they could in turn have the support available to possibly not succumb to the rhythms and stress they have learned living on the street, so to speak. By limiting the addicts exposure to life threatening diseases, or in the case with crack pipes, exposure to harmful toxins that shorten the life-span of the addict (or even that toxic glass exploding in their face from overuse), you are thus performing harm reduction. IMHO there is nowhere near enough funding or focus on this in our society- so taxes? I'd gladly pay them, personally. Where else or how else will harm reduction ever be adopted into our society?

It is also an inert and positive atmosphere that lets the addict know it is OK they are addicted. No one is going to blatantly judge them for being addicted at these facilities, much unlike the way they are viewed by society as a whole. Another factor that has been shown to help in recovery.

Well, if it realy helps people....

I doubt it does.

Just another excuse for Vancouver to run away from the root of the problem.

I am all for harm reduction but curently there is no attempts made by our government to just solve the problem..god is it not jsut so much easier to spend a tiny little sum like $60,000 to give people free crack pipes that actaully have to look around at the social support this city has and maybe start to question the efficacy of a system that conciders methadone addiction a drug treatment?

Clean crack pipes may be a necessity to stop the spread of disease, I agree..but dont let this become some diversion that gets you thinking this city is progressive. I invite you to visit the downtown eastside and take a look at how successful the current system is. Thank god I am not downtown anymore..

Thank god for the few people running iboga clinics here..too bad those people have no government support.


Oh well...as long as people can still make money off "treatments" and all the naive soccer moms and dads dont have to deal with the dirty "crack heads".. Of course each and every one of them woke up on day thinking how great a life on the street of cocaine addiction would be.

I agree, much more needs to be done. Things like this are one step forward, though. I don't see how else you could implement a working system except by one part at a time, right? Maybe I'm just hopeful, wishful-thinking...

Concepts like this have been effectively implemented in places like Switzerland, in regards to heroin, for example.

with the current system this is good becasue it stops the spread of disease..anyone wants to complain about taxes take a closer look. The system is busted. I would rather have less disease going around for my kids than bitch about such a tiny ammount of money used to limit that..

The whole system here is a joke though, and this is just like a bandaid someone stuck over it. It adresses nothing about the root of these peoples problems.

People comlain about taxes here all the time when it comes to the poor and disabled, addicted etc..yet these same people will then buy their kids fast food, candy and soda and sit there relying on the health care system. Same deal. If you cant be bothered to happily see your taxes help someone in need, than why should I happily watch my taxes pay for you when you are 50 years old, overweight with cancer or diabetes etc? I know you people in the US pay personally for your health care but it does not work the same way here in Canada.

It is way too easy to the point the finger sometimes.

oh jamie i have no doubts that vancouver is regressing and not tackling the issue head on. I just am happy that at least there are people fighting and winning battles for programs that help with the problem little by little.