Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jul 2015
Source: Red Deer Advocate (CN AB)
Copyright: 2015 Black Press
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/QU97nuCm
Website: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2492
Author: Mary-Ann Barr
Page: A1

HARM REDUCTION IN THE BATTLE AGAINST ADDICTION

Every month in Red Deer, the Central Alberta AIDS Network Society
gives away an average of 38,000 new needles to individuals who are
mostly using drugs that are not prescribed.

It raises that bigger question we don't hear very often, perhaps
because the helping agencies are just too busy doing the front line
work: Why doesn't this city have a residential addictions treatment
program?

Some of the drugs that people across this region are injecting
themselves with include crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and
opiate derivatives like heroin.

The region encompasses the same expansive area as Alberta Health
Services' Central Zone - running west to Rocky Mountain House, east to
Provost, north to Lamont and south to Drumheller.

Red Deer, the largest community in it, is the centre of free needle
distribution by CAANS to help prevent deaths and the spread of HIV and
hepatitis C. Sharing needles will cause these things to happen. The
distribution of free and new needles also saves a lot of money.
Research shows that while one needle costs 11 cents, one HIV infection
costs $1.3 million.

Of course, harm reduction delivery and other associated costs are more
than just one needle, but reducing HIV infection does save a great
deal of money.

CAANS, which receives $191,000 in harm reduction funding from Alberta
Health and the AHS Central Zone, is able to connect in a
non-judgmental way with people using drugs, and at least help them to
understand safe drug use, and proper disposal of needles and other
drug debris, as it's called.

In April 2011, CAANS gave out 10,385 new needles to people. By March
2015, the number was 37,715.

As part of its harm reduction program, CAANS collects used needles,
which are then disposed of by a contractor through
incineration.

Executive director Jennifer Vanderschaeghe says they are seeing a 75
per cent return rate of the 354,000 needles they give out in a year.
Any return rate over 50 per cent is considered good.

In the last fiscal year (April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015), they saw
283,292 used needles returned. Of these, 211,058 came back to the
CAANS office by way of sharps containers, for example; 45,981 from
harm reduction satellite sites; 14,575 from the NightReach program;
31,741 from other organizations in Central Alberta; 5,140 from the
drug debris drop boxes in Red Deer; 2,027 from drug debris cleanups;
and 118 from homeless camps.

Very few if any of the needles being returned have to do with
diabetics using CAANS sharps containers or drop boxes, and only a
small amount would be tied to steroid use.

I don't live under a rock but I have to admit I find the number of
needles being given out astonishing. There's a side of life in Red
Deer, and many other communities, most of us never see, never know -
the complex issue of drug addiction.

Safe Harbour, another charitable agency in Red Deer, runs a short-term
non-medical detox program to help people withdraw from substances and
prepare them for more long-term treatment.

A private addiction treatment centre is located at
Tees.

"We are focused on people who are using drugs that haven't been
medically prescribed or are not being medically prescribed to take in
that route. So people who are injecting drugs, or smoking crack or
crystal meth, and so on," Vanderschaeghe said.

She agrees the number of needles being distributed is increasing but
that doesn't necessarily mean drug use is on a sharp increase in this
community.

Vanderschaeghe said that a few years ago they believed they had about
300 clients who were using needles.

However, data collection has improved and now the number is more
accurate and closer to 400, a fairly stable number the past few years.

It could also be that CAANS is getting its message across
better.

And they are making sure that when they give out harm reduction kits,
which also include items like alcohol swabs, sharps containers and
tourniquets, people are welcome to take enough needles for themselves
and their friends. "We will always give them more."

The increase in new needles being provided is in part due to this
"peer redistribution," although CAANS would rather connect with these
people in person.

Overall, the number of people using needles isn't increasing and the
number of times CAANS see them isn't increasing, but the amount of
needles they are taking is increasing, Vanderschaeghe says.

This is probably because people are using drugs that they inject more
frequently, and they are giving needles to other people, she believes.
Those people redistributing to higher numbers of other people using
drugs people tend to live in more isolated communities.

Looking at the number of needles given out per capita, CAANS is third
highest of four Alberta cities. Edmonton gives out the most, followed
by Medicine Hat, and, surprisingly, Calgary is fourth.

"It could be that we are doing the job differently," says
Vanderschaeghe. All communities are different in how the needle
exchange works.

Red Deer's program offers 24-hour access to new needles because CAANS
has outreach workers who distribute needles every day of the year, and
it has fixed and satellite sites, and rural outreach workers.

"Do we need sharps containers in bathrooms? Absolutely. Do we need
more needle drop boxes? Absolutely. The big deal is do we have
residential treatment in Red Deer? Nope," says Vanderschaeghe.

"Do we have access to the addictions services we need in Red Deer? Can
you get into detox right away? Probably not. Do we have housing? ...
There's a whole bunch of services that would make our drug debris
simpler. One of them is addictions treatment and the other one is
shelter and housing. If people had a bedroom they wouldn't be
injecting outside."
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MAP posted-by: Matt