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.
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