OTTAWA – Sept 22, 2007 – The Green Party of Ontario has announced its support for Ottawa’s Safer Inhalation Program. The Greens call the program a local example of their provincial policies of preventative health care and harm reduction, and urge other political parties to follow their lead to ensure a future for this program.

The goal of Ottawa’s Safer Inhalation Program was to reduce Hepatitis C and HIV transmission by supplying clean pipes free of charge to crack users in order to discourage pipe sharing. The program proved popular among crack users; the rate of users reporting pipe-sharing fell from 37% before the program to 13% after the program began, according to a scientific report published by a team of University of Ottawa researchers (see reference at bottom).

Ottawa City Council voted on July 11, 2007 to cease funding to Ottawa’s Safer Inhalation Program. The City of Ottawa paid for about 25% of the program’s costs, approximately $8000 per year. The Ontario Ministry of Health paid for the remaining 75%. By comparison, each HIV patient costs the Ministry of Health $250,000 – $600,000 in treatment and care over their lifetime.

“Harm reduction programs, such as inhalation, needle exchange and methadone programs, help to meet the basic health needs of those with addictions by preventing the spread of diseases between addicts and others,� said Judy Greenwood-Speers, the Health Advocate for the Green Party of Ontario. She is also the Director of Administration of a long-term drug rehabilitation facility.

When asked why a provincial party would take a stance on what is normally considered a municipal issue, Jay Fitzsimmons, the Communications Chair of the Green Party of Ontario in Ottawa Centre, responded “Health is a provincial issue. The provincial Ministry of Health pays for the majority of the Safer Inhalation Program costs. Furthermore it pays for the treatment of those people who contract diseases when programs like this one are absent. Provincial Health Care should not be just about paying for prescription drugs – it should extend to preventing infections in the first place.�

The provincial election on October 10 has the potential to produce both a minority government and, in what would be a first in Ontario, elected Green Party MPPs. If so, the Green Party of Ontario pledges to work with the governing party to ensure harm reduction programs like the Safer Inhalation Program are protected and expanded. The Green Party of Ontario states that while the Safer Inhalation Program may be effective at preventing disease transmission, it is most effective when implemented together with drug treatment programs to help users kick their addiction and local community safety programs.

REFERENCE:
Leonard, L., DeRubeis, E., Pelude, L., Medd, E., Birkett, N., and J. Seto. In Press. “I inject less as I have easier access to pipes� Injecting, and sharing of crack-smoking materials, decline as safer crack-smoking resources are distributed. International Journal of Drug Policy.

For more details on Green Party policy with respect to the Safer Inhalation Program:
www.ottawagreens.ca/ottawacentre/?p=181

For more information, please contact:
Jay Fitzsimmons, Communications Chair
Ottawa Centre Constituency Association
Green Party of Ontario
E-mail jay.fitzsimmons@ottawagreens.ca