Pubdate: Fri, 10 Apr 2015
Source: St. Thomas Times-Journal (CN ON)
Copyright: 2015 Sun Media
Contact: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/letters
Website: http://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/953
Author: Eric Bunnell
Page: 3

PILOT PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE THREAT FROM DIRTY NEEDLES

Public health officials want to take a long-running needle-exchange 
program to the streets.

It's a one-year pilot to reduce the threat to the public from sticks 
from improperly discarded hypodermic needles, by locating a 
collection bin in a downtown parkette across Talbot St. from city 
hall, and a second bin on the north side.

Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Elgin St. Thomas Public 
Health, says the initiative is part of a multi-pronged approach to 
harm reduction in drug use.

"The big concern is making sure there are no dirty needles anywhere 
from any source."

The health unit says sharps that are improperly discarded in public 
places and, even, in household trash, pose a threat to public health.

But the proposal has been criticized by the St. Thomas Downtown 
Development Board, which complains it wasn't asked about the idea.

""I don't understand why," DDB chairman Earl Taylor says.

"We're one of the largest stakeholders in the downtown."

The DDB says Green's Parkette is not an appropriate location.

"The needles are found not in the parkettes, I've never really found that.

"They're in the alleyways behind and the parking lots behind, and I 
would think -my personal idea, we haven't taken it to the board yet - 
is that's where the spots should be."

He also said the small parkette already has an image which the DDB is 
trying to improve, and the kiosk won't help.

"It deserves better than that."

Designed to be tamperproof, a needle exchange kiosk also would be 
located on Confederation Dr.

The health unit says it located the bins after "considerable 
discussion" with the public, city staff and IV drug users.

City council referred the request Tuesday to staff for a report.

The health unit last year collected almost 48,000 dirty needles and 
distributed more than 61,000.

Neither Lock nor city manager Wendell Graves were able to say any 
member of the public has suffered a needle stick and accompanying 
threat of infection. Dirty needles can spread HIV or hepatitis B or C.

But, Lock said, "There have been concerns expressed about needles 
found in locations where they shouldn't be in the city."

She said the pilot is aimed at more than IV drug users.

"There are other people in our community who use needles as well as 
those who do for drug addictions."

She named body builders who inject steroids, as well as diabetics.

"We need to focus safe disposal of needles to a larger community than 
just intravenous drug users."

But Taylor said the health unit is using diabetics as a smoke screen.

"They're just trying to appeal to the public sense of, 'We're doing a 
good thing here - now the diabetics will be able to take their 
needles to Green's Parkette.' No way..."

Taylor has written city hall.

The health unit is seeking to locate collection bins in two locations 
around the city in a pilot project.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom