Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jan 2007 Source: Chatham Daily News, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2007 OSPREY Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.chathamdailynews.ca Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1627 Author: Erica Bajer, The Daily News Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange) 100,000 NEEDLES EXCHANGED IN C-K Program Aimed At Reducing Risks Involved In Intravenous Drug Use Local intravenous drug users exchange nearly 100,000 syringes a year through Needle Exchange Chatham-Kent. The program, run by Chatham-Kent Public Health, is aimed at reducing the harm associated with using intravenous drugs such as heroine, methampetamine and cocaine. Public health nurse Debbie Maine said the program helps prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other blood-borne infections. "If clean needles are available, they'll use them," she said. Max, an outreach worker with the program and former heroine addict, who wishes to remain anonymous, is on-call to deliver needles to users throughout Chatham-Kent. He said people page him and he meets with them, usually at their homes, to supply them with clean, single-use syringes. "I have clients from just about every walk of life," he said. He noted that the 100,000 syringes were handed out to about 100 local drug users. Max doesn't preach to users about addiction, but will offer referrals and health information. As well, the program provides condoms and information on safer sex. Maine said public health also offers free testing for sexually-transmitted infections and pregnancy tests. "A lot of times, we're the first contact they (drug users) have with the health care services," Maine said. Max said he started helping out with the needle exchange about eight years ago, after kicking his own drug habit. Max knows first-hand the risks associated with intravenous drug use. He contracted hepatitis C while using drugs. He's thankful he wasn't infected with HIV while using drugs. Max said he was exposed to the virus but wasn't infected. "I feel lucky," he said. Betty Schepens, manager of communicable disease control programs for the public health unit, said the Ministry of Health estimates that provincially the rate of hepatitis C among intravenous drug users may be as high as 60 per cent and about 20 per cent are also infected with HIV. According to information provided by the health unit, there were an estimated 41,000 intravenous drug users in Ontario in 2005. John Zarbeski, system planning consultant for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, said it's difficult to estimate what types of drugs people are using. He said it is believed that about one per cent of Chatham-Kent adults (estimated at 88,000) use speed and heroine, which works out to about 880. Schepens said about 70 local users are participating in a study by the Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program to determine what types of drugs are being used. She said the OHRDP helps fund the local needle exchange program. To run the program in 2006 cost approximately $17,000, she noted. Schepens said the program isn't just aimed at reducing harm to users, it also encourages people to return used needles, which makes the community safer as syringes aren't being unsafely discarded. Max said more than 90 per cent of people who receive needles through the program also return the used syringes. Along with needles, Max delivers "sharps containers" to users so they can safely dispose of them and return them to the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit. Maine said even though it's proven that needle exchange programs work, they remain controversial. "We're not promoting it, we're not condoning it, we're trying to reduce the risk involved," she said. "By handing out clean syringes, we aren't getting people started. It's the people already using them who have access to clean needles." Zarbeski said in 2001, the needle exchange program handed out approximately 33,000 syringes. He said the steady increase in needles being exchanged indicates the need for a methadone treatment centre. Currently, he said people who use methadone must travel to Windsor, Sarnia or London. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek