Rampant Drug Problem Being Handled by Vancouver’s Harm Reduction Program

The primary solution Vancouver has been using to handle the ongoing problems of drugs and drug addiction is called the ‘Four Pillars Approach’, which is basically a harm reduction program that was introduced in 2000 and is also endorsed by the government.  Supported by the Vancouver agreement, this program links three levels of government to handle problems such as, economical, social, public health and safety challenges, all revolving around addiction, homelessness, and prostitution.  This harm reduction approach sees addiction as a health problem and not as a criminal problem.  These services will work with and treat users, and come down hard on drug dealers.  This program has gained much international attention, causing the Drug Czar within President Obama’s administration to support a similar approach in a United Nations report. 

Just like any program that handles social problems, there are critics.  Many critics of the ‘Four Pillar Approach’ feel that it provides no way of assigning funding priorities to diverse agencies, which are already fighting for slim resources.  Other critics believe that harm reduction is often the easiest way of saying we give up.  The people that see it this way want to see safe injection sites and heroin clinics connected with treatment options.  If theses services are not connected with treatment options, many feel it then becomes palliative care, that they are giving up on the addict’s recovery, and it only keeps them safe while using. 

Law enforcement agencies for the most part support treatment as an option, and feel that increased law enforcement does make a difference.  The police handle all the drug related crimes, the arresting of dealers, and property crime stings, but many law enforcement officials ask, can you police away addiction?  The British Columbia Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS did a study in 2003 that showed police crack downs cost 2.3 million dollars, involved 50 officers, and for the first few weeks of operation, 236 trafficking charges were laid against 162 people.  Police feel these efforts do make a difference in the area.  Many of the people who live and work in the area see drug addiction as a nuisance, and view the real problem is with homelessness and poverty.  There is much community support for more treatment and detox beds.  The British Columbia Ministry of Health funds 200 detox beds and over 2000 detox, treatment, and recovery beds.  For more information about how to help someone battling a drug or alcohol addiction, call the Narconon drug rehab at, 1-877-782-7409, or visit narconon.ca

(Ref: Wiorks Cited Elaine O’Connor “The search for a vein of hope.” The Province 6 July 2009: 7 July 2009 http://www.theprovince.com/news/search+vein+hope/1763612/story.html)

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