Pubdate: Thu, 15 Apr 2010
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Page: 4
Copyright: 2010 Times Colonist
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/letters.html
Website: http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Bill Cleverley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

HARM REDUCTION MARATHON LOOMS

Presentations Could Run Six Hours at Tonight's Meeting

A marathon Victoria council meeting is expected tonight as supporters 
of harm-reduction services for illicit drug users plan to press their 
case for more services.

Some 70 people are hoping to address councillors on initiatives such 
as establishment of both a fixed needle exchange and a supervised 
injection site.

At five minutes allowed per speaker, that means the presentations 
could run about six hours.

"We're hoping as many people as possible show up [...] to remind city 
council that they had made some priorities and one of them was harm 
reduction and we want them to follow through," said Kim Toombs, a 
spokeswoman for Harm Reduction Victoria.

"It's important to hear these voices," said Mayor Dean Fortin, who 
noted the Vancouver Island Health Authority would be responsible for 
establishing fixed needle-exchange sites. Fortin said council would 
like to see three well-funded, small fixed sites.

"This council has made harm reduction a priority. We recognize it has 
to be done in partnership with all the other players out there."

Despite a decade's worth of reports calling for such facilities, 
Victoria has gone backward with the closure of the Cormorant Street 
needle exchange in May 2008, said Toombs.

In March 2009, councillors identified harm reduction as one of the 
city's top seven priorities.

Harm Reduction Victoria wants the city to provide a central property 
for a "harm-reduction resource centre," which would include 
supervised consumption services, needle exchange and counselling.

"One of the barriers in the discussion around finding a location for 
a needle exchange has been finding a landlord that is supportive," 
Toombs said. "So that is certainly one thing that the city could do 
is be a supportive landlord."

The group notes that in 2007, the Mayor's Task Force on breaking the 
cycle of Mental Illness, Addictions and Homelessness identified a 
need for small, properly staffed supervised consumption sites to 
reduce the spread of disease and provide a stable point of contact 
for referrals.

Such sites would also take people shooting up drugs off the streets, they say.

Harm Reduction Victoria also wants an end to the police and 
VIHA-sanctioned "no-go zone" that restricts distribution of needles 
and other harm-reduction supplies between Blanshard, Chambers, 
Balmoral and Yates streets.

The zone became off-limits as a result of a code of conduct developed 
in 2008 by a group called the Needle Exchange Advisory Committee. The 
code says needles should not be handed out near schools, daycare 
centres or open businesses.

But Toombs said the zone cuts off needed access, especially within a 
two-block radius around St. Andrews School, where people access other 
services. "That's where people are setting up their places to sleep 
at night. This is where their community meets."

Coun. Philippe Lucas said he's "never heard a good reason" for the no-go zone.

"We need to make safe supplies available wherever the drug-using 
community is and that's certainly -- because of Our Place being our 
primary front-line [street] organization --that's certainly where 
harm-reduction supplies absolutely should be available."

The fixed needle exchange on Cormorant Street operated for six years 
before it was evicted. Neighbours had long complained about 
disturbances and hazards associated with its operation.

Since its closure, mobile needle exchanges have operated out of vans 
on regular routes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom