Pubdate: Wed, 29 Jan 2003
Source: Surrey Leader (CN BC)
Copyright: 2003 Surrey Leader
Contact:  http://www.surreyleader.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1236
Author: Kevin Diakiw
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

NEW TARGET: NEEDLES

Surrey's mayor wants to shut down the Whalley needle exchange 
"immediately," in favour of dispersed services through provincial health units.

Critics of that plan say addicts will turn to sharing needles, contracting 
hepatitis C and HIV, driving up provincial health care costs. The proposed 
closure comes as part of Mayor Doug McCallum's "action team" campaign to 
clean up crime-ridden areas of Whalley.

It involves a coordinated effort by several city departments, including 
bylaw, fire, RCMP, engineering and parks.

The area around the needle exchange, at 135 A St. near 106 Ave., is at the 
heart of the problem, according to McCallum. On Monday, he called the board 
of directors for South Fraser Community Services, which operates the 
exchange, and asked them to cease operations.

"I talked to their chairman yesterday and asked them to shut it down 
immediately," McCallum said Tuesday. "When we talk to police and business, 
they consider it one of the main problems in bringing an undesirable 
element into that area." He says the service, in Whalley since 1992, can be 
dispersed throughout the city, using provincial health units in Whalley, 
South Surrey, Cloverdale and Surrey Memorial Hospital.

McCallum has the backing of at least one local MLA.

Elayne Brenzinger, the Liberal MLA for Surrey-Whalley, said she supports 
the closure of the exchange in favour of a facility at Surrey Memorial 
Hospital.

However, former minister of health and Surrey Coun. Penny Priddy said the 
concept of using hospitals and health units to distribute needles is 
ill-conceived.

"Are all health units close to transit and easy to get to?" Priddy asked, 
adding addicts will go where it's most convenient to shoot up.

"They go into your backyard, my backyard and the backyard of the businesses 
up there, and that's where they'll leave their needles," Priddy said.

She understands there are crime problems in Whalley, and supports increased 
enforcement, but maintains closing the exchange is only going to increase 
the spread of disease.

"Between 1998 and 2008 they expect to be a 126 per cent increase in 
hepatitis C," Priddy said. "Eighty-eight per cent of that are (intravenous) 
drug users."

Hepatitis C patients cost the province about $100 million to treat about 
40,000 people with the disease, according to provincial health officer, Dr. 
Perry Kendall.

Of the about the 3,000 new patients per year, one in five comes from south 
of the Fraser, he said Tuesday.

"It will cost way more than it costs to police it or anything else," said 
Priddy. "The health costs are enormous -- I think (the closure) almost 
creates a health epidemic -- people are going to stop using clean needles."

Linda Syssoloff, South Fraser Community Services program director, agrees 
with that assessment.

Without easy access to clean hypodermics, Syssoloff warned the incidence of 
HIV and hepatitis C would rise as junkies share needles.

"It would be an infectious disease epidemic," Syssoloff said.

Currently, the exchange collects more needles than it distributes, 
Syssoloff said, pointing to statistics for December that show the service 
handled out 15,875 needles while collecting 16,223 for disposal.

That shows addicts are using the exchange to dispose of needles instead of 
dumping them on the street, Syssoloff believes, noting regular sweeps of 
the area by staff show less than a dozen needles are discovered near the 
exchange in any given month.

Syssoloff described the addicts who use the Whalley service as people 
"making the first step toward treatment" by trying to protect their health.

"Most people who come to the exchange, they drive down, they get what they 
need, and they leave."

An addict who uses the service told The Leader she would be more likely to 
share needles if clean hypodermics are not easily available.

"More than likely, I would (use a dirty injector)," said Shelly, a 
41-year-old homeless woman who has hepatitis C. If clean needles are not 
easily available, "people are going to buy them or steal them," Shelly 
predicted.

Jim Bennett, who operates the needle exchange, said Monday he spoke with 
the minister in charge of the program, Surrey-Panorama MLA Dr. Gulzar 
Cheema, who said it's provincial policy, "and it's staying where it is."

Cheema told The Leader Tuesday the Whalley needle exchange is a model 
service and should remain at its current location. "The political campaigns 
are over, let's concentrate on the facts," said Cheema.

"This issue is not a part of crime prevention ... I think we need to keep 
on focusing on the issue which is important for these people who are 
suffering from a substance abuse disorder..."

McCallum said that if the exchange doesn't comply with his request, he'll 
have it shut down. He wouldn't say how that could be done.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom