Pubdate: Wed, 15 Jan 2014
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Section: Front Page
Copyright: 2014 Metro Canada
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Kate Webb

ABBOTSFORD OK'S NEEDLE EXCHANGES

Health. City Votes To Permit Harm Reduction With Bylaw
Overhaul

Needle exchanges, methadone clinics and supervised injection sites are
now legal in Abbotsford after city council voted Monday night to amend
a 2005 bylaw that prohibited harm reduction measures.

The Fraser Health Authority (FHA) wrote to the city in 2010 and asked
it to change the zoning bylaw to allow needle exchanges because of
concerns about rising rates of hepatitis C.

But don't expect to see a supervised injection site like Vancouver's
Insite pop up anytime soon.

"We've been very clear: There's only one city in Canada that has an
injection site. Abbotsford has no interest in being the second. None,"
said Mayor Bruce Banman on Tuesday.

He supported the bylaw amendment on the condition that measures are
taken to ensure needles are disposed of properly.

Abbotsford's medical health officer, Marcus Lem, said that because of
push-back from conservative, religious residents, he did not ask for
anything more than to be able to distribute and collect needles in 10
to 15 existing outreach centres.

But attitudes in other cities are changing, and FHA would not be alone
if it did eventually ask for a supervised injection site - which is
different from a needle exchange in that it always has nurses on hand
to provide life-saving intervention if someone overdoses.

Montreal has made plans to open three permanent supervised injection
sites, and Toronto's health authority is also pushing for several
small ones, in light of studies showing Insite has reduced overdose
deaths, blood-borne diseases and health-care costs while boosting
enrolment in drug treatment and recovery programs.

Lem said he wants to be respectful of the community's wishes and does
not see a safe injection site in the cards for Abbotsford. But one
thing he does plan to push hard for is the distribution of overdose
kits containing the drug Naloxone, which can counteract the effects of
heroin and other opioids.

"They're being distributed in Vancouver, but we're not doing it," Lem
said.

"In places like Abbotsford we've been holding back because we've been
trying to be respectful of the bylaw."

Lem said FHA has also hired a nurse in Abbotsford who specializes in
preventing blood borne diseases to help facilitate the introduction of
the needle exchanges.

For several years, a number of outreach organizations have been
driving vans full of clean needles and supplies to Abbotsford, while
pushing to get the unenforced bylaw overturned.  
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jo-D