Forever blazing trails, Vancouver is now home to the first crack pipe vending machines in Canada.
CTV News reports that there are two machines at Portland Hotel Society's Drug Users Resource Centre which give out the Pyrex devices for a mere 25 cents apiece. According to DURC director Kailin See, this was for safety reasons. "For us, this was about increasing access to safer inhalation supplies in the Downtown Eastside," she told CTV.
See added that the pipes are more sturdy, and therefore less likely to chip and cut users' mouths, thus decreasing the spread of diseases such as hepatitis C and HIV. Naturally, the initiative, organized by InSite—the only medically supervised injection site in North America—has drawn criticism, with Minister of Public Safety Steven Blaney sending CTV News a statement over the weekend voicing his displeasure.
"Drug use damages the health of individuals and the safety of our communities, he said, adding that he believes "law enforcement should enforce the law." Hate it or love it, InSite is popular: Over 800 people use it daily. This may be an unorthodox way of fighting the spread of diseases, but it's happening.
[via CTV News]
