Pubdate: Wed, 30 May 2007 Source: Edmonton Sun (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 Canoe Limited Partnership. Contact: http://www.edmontonsun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/135 Author: Frank Landry, City Hall Bureau Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?143 (Hepatitis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms) SAFE INJECTION SITE SUPPORTED 47% Of Edmontonians Think They're A Good Idea: Survey Nearly half of Edmontonians support the idea of establishing a safe-injection site for intravenous drug users in the city, according to a new survey. It comes at a time when park rangers are picking up three times the number of discarded syringes in the river valley compared to just a few years ago -- suggesting the problem is getting worse. "Addiction is not going to go away," Roy Aldridge, a recovering heroin and speed addict, who's been clean for about a year, told Sun Media today. Hepatitis C The 55-year-old, who contracted Hepatitis C from intravenous drug use, said he would be in favour of a so-called safe injection site, where users can shoot up without fear of being arrested, and under the supervision of trained staff. "Drug use has been here since Adam stole the apple from the Garden of Eden, that was his addiction," said Aldridge, who now uses a needle-exchange service offered by Streetworks so he can inject his Hep C medication safely. A recent Canada West Foundation survey found 47% of Edmontonians think safe injection sites are a good or very good idea. The survey polled Canadians in seven major cities -- six in the west, plus Toronto. It found support for safe injection sites ranged from a low of 42% in Winnipeg to a high of nearly 55% in Vancouver. However, when respondents were asked to rank potential responses to illegal drug activity, safe injection sites ranked well below increased law enforcement and increased programs for addicts. Prevents spread of disease Proponents of safe injection sites have long argued they help prevent the spread of disease and overdoses. Darren Grove, supervisor of Edmonton's park ranger unit, said while he doesn't have any hard numbers, he figures workers are picking up 1,000 to 1,500 discarded needles in the river valley each year. The last time the city had hard numbers was in 2005, when officials collected 497 needles from park areas, most of them around homeless camps. "Absolutely there is a concern," Grove said. "We don't want to have someone stumble across them and accidentally get struck with a needle." Marliss Taylor, who speaks for Streetworks, said while the group isn't pushing for a safe injection site, it would welcome one. "We're not hopeful it will happen here at this time," she conceded, noting the federal government appears opposed to the concept. The country's only official safe injection site is in Vancouver. - --- MAP posted-by: Steve Heath