On Thursday night, Ottawa residents met at City Hall to discuss a response to the city council's recent vote ending the two-year-old crack pipe distribution program. Present at the emotional two-hour meeting were academics, former drug users, AIDS service representatives, harm reduction advocates, and program opponents.

The council's vote effectively ends the $22,500 (U.S. $21,122) annual program this month.

Many complaints about the program, especially crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia litter, came from residents of Sandy Hill, Centretown, Hintonburg, and Vanier.

"The crack pipe program is not making people better," said Amanda Smith, a member of Arthur Street Neighborhood Watch. "Instead of distributing crack pipes, there should be more treatment for people with crack addictions." She was concerned about the crack pipes and needles she regularly found near a school.

Panel members suggested placing safety disposal boxes to collect such litter and recruiting volunteers to pick used needles from the streets. None of the panelists said the crack pipe program should be cancelled.

"People are saying they want treatment facilities, but harm reduction can get to [drug users] while they're waiting for treatment," said Lynne Leonard, a University of Ottawa professor whose research suggested the crack pipe program was effective.

When crack users do not have a clean pipe, they make their own, Leonard said, showing photographs of home-made pipes made from aluminum cans, syringes, and pill bottles. The pipes can cause cuts and burns to users' lips, mouth, and fingers, possibly leading to the transmission of blood-borne infections.

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