City support is needed to combat Ottawa’s drug problem even though provincial funding has given Somerset West Community Health Centre’s Safe Inhalation Program new life.
“I think it is better if the city is involved so we can have that kind of conversation with the public,” said Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes. “But obviously the city isn’t going to be involved because they’ve decided to scrap the program, which is certainly a major health program.”
City council voted to stop funding the controversial program in July but the province stepped in and provided it with financial backing.
Holmes said the city’s decision to remove funding was a clear signal to the provincial government.
“It certainly sent a message to the province that we’re not serious about solving our drug problem,” she said. “The City of Ottawa does not officially care how many more drug addicts get hepatitis C and HIV.”
The safe inhalation or “crack pipe” program intends to reduce the amount of sharing that takes place amongst drug users that can lead to the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis C and AIDS.
The program began distributing crack-inhalation kits in partnership with provincial, city, and community support in 2005. A large share of financial support has always come from the province but the city provided $7,500 annually. After the city cancelled this funding, the Ontario Ministry of Health confirmed in December that it would provide $287,000 for the distribution of inhalation kits.
The funding announcement came much to the disappointment of Mayor Larry O’Brien, who in the past has voiced opposition to the program. The mayor said it was not within the province’s jurisdiction to overstep a decision previously approved by council.
Health Minister George Smitherman spoke on why he feels it is important to fund the Safe Inhalation Program in a letter to the Ottawa Citizen on Jan.24:
“The pipe is not actually an enabler for the crack to be consumed, a pop can may suffice,” he wrote. “The sense of empowerment that comes when somebody cares whether your next fix is going to give you hepatitis C is that first step towards that ‘end state’ we all want to see.”
Eugene Williams, Somerset West’s health promotion co-ordinator, said that business is now operating as usual as a result of provincial funding.
“We are essentially getting funding to do what the City of Ottawa was doing in the past,” said Williams.
When the city pulled its support last year, Somerset West and its community partners were left to pick up the work once done by Ottawa Public Health who played a co-ordination role between the 11 other partners involved in the project.
“We lost a valuable partner,” said Williams.
Although the program is back on its feet financially, Williams said it should only be a small piece in a greater drug initiative taken on by the city and that a number of factors need to be at play.
Williams said there must be prevention, treatment, police enforcement and harm reduction as part of an “integrated drug strategy.” The Safe Inhalation Program would fall under harm reduction.
“The police believe in harm reduction when there’s a clear link to treatment,” said Staff Sgt. Paul Johnston of the Ottawa Police Force. “We want to help people with addiction issues and take them out of that cycle of addiction.”
Williams said the city needs to be incorporated into all parts of the approach in order to fight Ottawa’s drug problem.
“The city does have a role to play in all those four elements,” said Williams. “It needs to be a team approach.”