Pubdate: Tue, 25 Sep 2012 Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON) Copyright: 2012 The Hamilton Spectator Contact: http://www.thespec.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/181 NEW NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM ANGERS RESIDENTS A group of Burlington residents is up in arms about a public health clinic slated to open later this year in their neighbourhood that, among other things, will offer a needle exchange service for intravenous drug users. The residents fear the clinic at 3350 Fairview, in a strip mall between Guelph and Walker's lines, will lead to needles being discarded in the area and they are worried about children being exposed to drug users who use the service. "We cannot understand the rationale of placing it directly within a family neighbourhood," said resident Beverly Hardy. But Dr. Bob Nosal, medical officer of health for the Region of Halton, said he expects only one or two people per week to use the needle exchange. That was the experience of the clinic at its former site in southeast Oakville; in all of last year there were only 67 visits for needle exchange. He said by far most intravenous drug users exchange their needles using a regional van that travels around Halton at night. And there is no evidence that drug users who also use exchange services are prone to discarding their paraphernalia near public health clinics or anywhere else in the region, he said. His view is the exchange program, which has been running for more than a dozen years, helps to discourage drug users from leaving their needles in parks and other public places by getting the users into a routine of bringing old needles in to swap for new ones. Nearly 150 angry residents showed up Sept. 10 for a meeting with Nosal and Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring, along with other city officials. An information meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 2. The clinic is under construction and is expected to open in November. "They would have received a flyer (that was put together by residents opposed to the clinic)," said Nosal. "And quite frankly I think the flyer was alarmist and inflammatory. If I had received a flyer like that I would have been concerned also." At the meeting, he said, he tried "to address the alarmist and inflammatory tone of the flyer with the facts." But many residents remain concerned. "The overall consensus of all the residents in attendance (at the Sept. 10 meeting) was how this was the wrong location for the needle exchange program," Hardy wrote in a letter to The Spectator. "There was a sense that Halton region is doing everything it can to steam-roller this into our neighbourhood." Councillor Jack Dennison, who represents the residents, said he believes the clinic should have stayed where it was in Oakville, and if so few needles are going to be exchanged from the new location then the service shouldn't be offered at all. But Nosal said the health department wants to maximize opportunities for drug users to acquire safe needles. The van operates at night. Regional health clinics offer services during the day. He said the main purpose of the clinic is to offer public health services in areas of sexual health, smoking cessation and dental care. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom