Pubdate: Tue, 01 May 2012
Source: Oshawa Express, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 Dowellman Publishing Corp
Contact:  http://www.oshawaexpress.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5299
Author: Lindsey Cole
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

HEROIN BECOMING DRUG OF CHOICE IN CITY

Beth Whalen sees many walks of life come through the doors of the 
John Howard Society of Durham Region.

Each person has their own story to tell. Lately, the tales she's 
heard are showing more people are turning to heroin and fentanyl use 
in part because the popular painkiller OxyContin is going off the 
market, being replaced with a more difficult drug to tamper with in OxyNEO.

As the harm reduction coordinator, Whalen is actively involved in 
Project X-Change, which is a program that provides access to sterile 
needles, syringes, condoms, cookers, safe needle disposal bins and 
other paraphernalia in order to promote safer injection drug use and 
safer methods for at-risk activities. The idea behind the program is 
to reduce the spread of blood borne diseases.

"Harm Reduction is all about meeting someone where there at right 
now," she says.

"They're not ready to stop using."

But at the same time, she says, sometimes there is that glimmer of 
hope, where someone is ready to make a positive change.

"We're talking about human beings. I've seen people going into 
treatment successfully. They've gone on to lead some very successful 
lives," she says. "On the flip side I've seen some deaths."

And now, Whalen says, there are new concerns on the horizon based on 
startling trends of addicts switching from one substance to another.

"What we're seeing is an influx of heroin in the city unfortunately," 
she explains. "You don't know what the quality is. You don't know the 
strength. I have a really serious concern that we're going to see 
more overdoses and overdose-related deaths."

She says 75 to 80 per cent of those she sees walk in through the door 
are hooked on an opiate painkiller. A large number of them got it 
through prescriptions.

"They get it through legitimate means. People are there and they're 
using for a reason," she says.

"We are only one injury and one accident away from becoming addicted 
to a painkiller."

Whalen says while some may criticize the idea of a place where users 
can go to get safe material, she emphasizes that it's important to 
have this service for the community at large.

"I'd rather be the one here providing someone with whatever they need 
to be safe. I'm going to refer them to whatever they need," she says. 
"Our source of information is the people who walk through these doors."

Whalen also supports the idea of a safe injection site, which has 
been in the headlines recently.

A St. Michael's study in conjunction with the University of Toronto 
that was highlighted in April states these sites could improve the 
lives of those using drugs and went so far as to suggest sites in 
Toronto and Ottawa.

"Do I think we could benefit from a safe injection site? I absolutely 
do," Whalen says.

Right now, she says, people are shooting up in washrooms and alleys 
and "having a safe injection site would eliminate that. It's a 
benefit to the community at large."

According to the report, in September 2003, Canada's first supervised 
facility opened in the downtown eastside of Vancouver. Since then 
several other cities have contemplated the idea. But when it comes to 
a safe injection site in nearby Toronto, the idea didn't gain much traction.

And while Whalen throws her support behind the idea, she does 
acknowledge it is a long way from coming to fruition in the region.

She says programs like that of Project X-Change are necessary for the 
region and have made leaps and bounds since being mandated in the late '90s.

Marion Megesi, program manager, public health, nursing and nutrition 
for the Region echoes Whalen's comments.

"We do know that these strategies are working. They're not out in the 
community. It used to involve some clean needles, sterile needles as 
well getting them back," she says. "It's progressed to look at all 
the harm reduction strategies."

Project X-Change is in cooperation with the Durham Region Health 
Department, Durham Region Police, the YWCA, the Addiction Research 
Foundation, the AIDS Committee of Durham, Pinewood Centre, Colborne 
Residential Services, Destiny Manor, and Cornerstone Community Alternatives.

Megesi adds the John Howard Society is "basically our eyes and ears" 
for the Region, and is also a way to educate the public about the 
benefit of harm reduction and the endless array of services available 
to addicts like trained counselors.

"These are strategies much like you would do with smoking. Try to 
reduce the risk," she says. "This is a disease too. It's an 
addiction. These are the best types of strategies that you can put in 
place. It's a process too, where there needs to be a lot more 
information out there."

For Whalen it comes down to "using whatever is the less harmful approach."

The coordinator says she has been with the John Howard Society for 18 
years and says she can't imagine doing anything else.

"I've met some of the most wonderful people, sometimes not in the 
best situations," she says.

"People need to be comfortable enough. This is a non-judgmental area. 
Sometimes we're the only contact. It's not just about handing out 
safe equipment. We will refer them."

Outreach workers also provide safe use equipment to those in need by 
delivering the materials.

"We offer the opportunity for people to call outreach. There are 
folks who choose to access the outreach program," Whalen says. "I 
would say that the concerns right now are with the switch (from 
OxyContin to heroin). The program has grown but then again so has our 
population. I think we're seeing the tip of the iceberg with the OxyContin.

"My biggest appeal is...I'd like to see access to detox and treatment 
stepped up for those that want to."

For more information on Project X-Change or other programs visit 
www.jhsdurham.on.ca .
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom