Pubdate: Tue, 08 Apr 2008
Source: Chronicle-Journal, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 The Chronicle-Journal
Contact: http://tricubemedia.net/tbayemail/letters.php
Website: http://www.chroniclejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3155
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(Needle Exchange)

NEEDLE RECOVERY PROGRAM GETS CITY SUPPORT

Thunder Bay city council is supporting a program  designed to make
sure city residents don't get the  point.

Council unanimously voted in support of the Safe  Streets Needle
Recovery Program on Monday, which  involves the installation of needle
disposal bins at  locations where large numbers of used hypodermic
needles turn up.

The program is being developed by the city in  co-operation with the
Thunder Bay District Health Unit,  Superior Points, the Ministry of
the Environment,  Evergreen United Neighboourhood and Thunder Bay Hydro.

The proposed disposal bins would be secured to utility  poles at four
pilot locations in the Simpson Street  area where Superior Points and
the roads division's  waste management section have found high
concentrations  of discarded needles.

Superior Points program manager Don Young said he was  pleased that
the program got the go-ahead, but  emphasized that injection drug use
is not limited to  the locations chosen for the project.

"I am totally ecstatic at the city council and city  administration's
support around this as a pilot  project, but injection drug use and
high-risk drug use  has no boundaries . . . so it's an issue in every
single part of the community," said Young. "I can see  (the disposal
program) going city-wide after the pilot  project's been evaluated."

The locally-manufactured disposal bins are yellow,  prominently marked
with the program's logo and with  biohazard warnings, and designed to
securely contain  needles and to resist tampering and attempts at
retrieval.

Superior Points will take responsibility for the  regular emptying of
the bins.

To ensure that those disposing of needles are made  aware of the
project and of other safe disposal  methods, city organizations are
doing their best to  spread the word.

"Word of mouth is great – we've got a really  active group,"
said Evergreen United Neighbourhood  secretary Glenda Carleton-Shubat.
"Many of us are out  in the spring cleaning up and talking to people
in our  neighbourhoods and getting them involved, so they're  part of
the solution instead of part of the problem."

A report on the effectiveness of the program is planned  for next
spring. 
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MAP posted-by: Steve Heath