Pubdate: Thu, 19 Apr 2007
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481

NEEDLE EXCHANGE FAILURE

It all seemed tremendously urgent back in January when concerns about 
the needle exchange's effects on the Cormorant Street neighbourhood 
came to the boil.

Everyone -- health officials, police, city council, the business 
community, AIDS Vancouver Island -- came together and agreed the 
location was unsuitable and something had to be done. Everyone 
professed a great desire to fix the problem.

Or almost everyone. The Vancouver Island Health Authority, 
responsible for addiction services, was conspicuously absent.

Moving the needle exchange to a more appropriate location and 
facility would cost more money. VIHA was in fact proposing to cut 
funding for AIDS services in the capital region by one-third.

Still, given the commitment by a broad spectrum of the community's 
leaders to fix this obvious problem -- given their acknowledgment 
that the situation was unbearable -- you would have expected some action.

But no. The needle exchange is still in the same unsuitable location, 
with no realistic plan to move. Neighbours continue to be pained by 
the behaviour of a relatively small but disruptive group of people 
who use the exchange.

And VIHA's position on funding more appropriate facilities for this 
important public health service remains a mystery.

Needle exchanges save lives and money. They reduce the practice of 
sharing needles, which in turn slows the spread of HIV and hep C 
infections. They provide a place to connect people with needed services.

That's why the community leaders promised action.

The solutions to our street issues, which are largely fuelled by 
addictions, are not complex.

We need to identify problems, like the inappropriate location for the 
needle exchange, and then fix them. There will be difficulties and 
costs, but none are insurmountable.

What's missing, it appears, is the will. How else to explain the 
failure to make real progress on this issue, which everyone agreed 
should be a priority?
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MAP posted-by: Elaine