By: Lakeview Health
The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has created a harm reduction strategy to decrease the spread of disease among crack addicts. The trial project will cost a total of $60,000 and will be targeting neighborhoods with a high population of crack users. The kits that will be distributed will contain glass pipes that are heat resistant and shatterproof. Also included will be mouth pieces, filters, alcohol swabs, screens and push sticks. The prevention of disease, decreasing the amount of admits to emergency room care from crack, and being able to quantify the amount of crack cocaine addicts in Vancouver will be some of the benefits of this study. This is a good idea. While addicts will think that they are able to get free pipes from the government, the government is able to attempt to control hospital admissions and have a better idea of the number of crack users in Vancouver. This knowledge may help with the efforts to help crack cocaine addicts get off drugs. It is a fine line between enabling and allowing the addict to have natural consequences for his or her behavior. This governmental control has some good and bad aspects like any drug intervention.
