All drug addicts face stigma, but the burden is especially high for crack users, who often cannot even get into homeless shelters, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported Sept. 27.

In Toronto, about half of all homeless individuals say they are regular crack users. But crack users are "very unwelcome in many places, including some services for the homeless," said researcher Erika Khandor. "There is a real lack of supports and services for them, and they do feel isolated even from existing services for homeless people."

The group Street Health, which funded Khandor's research into the homeless population, runs a drop-in center and outreach program for crack users in Toronto. Khandor said the program -- one of the few focusing specifically on crack users -- "has actually led to phenomenal results ... With that support, people have decreased their use [of crack] and a lot of people have been able to stabilize their lives."

"The general sort of attitude from a lot of service agencies is that crack users are difficult -- their behavior is uncontrollable, they are distrustful," said Paula Tookey, who runs the Crack Users Project. "So we figured ... what would happen if we opened our door and welcomed crack users in?"

Khandor's report called for more flexible rules that would allow crack users to have more access to Toronto's dozens of homeless shelters.