Pubdate: Thu, 10 Sep 2015
Source: Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc
Contact:  http://www.mrtimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1372
Author: Cole Wagner

FRASER HEALTH PUSHED TO PICK UP NEEDLES

City Hall Was a Tense Arena for a Discussion on Harm Reduction Tuesday

Just how dangerous is a discarded, used needle?

At Tuesday's council meeting, that question was at the forefront of a 
presentation by officials from Fraser Health, who maintained that 
needles found around town actually posed no more risk to the average 
resident than a rusty nail, because diseases like HIV don't survive 
in conditions outside the body for a long period of time.

The point was met with plenty of derision from the crowd of more than 
30 residents attending the meeting, who joined council to pressure 
Fraser Health to step up efforts to stem the tide of needles ending 
up in parks, and schools around the City.

"There is obviously - and you're aware - a problem with residents 
finding needles around our City, and around our playgrounds," Mayor 
Nicole Read told Dr. Marcus Lem, a medical health officer with the 
Fraser Health Authority.

Dr. Lem was joined by Erin Gibson, a Fraser Health harm reduction 
coordinator, to speak to Maple Ridge council Tuesday night on the 
subject of harm reduction in the City.

The presentation covered off the main principles behind harm 
reduction policies, which aim to mitigate the risks of drug addiction 
by distributing things like condoms, needles, and naxolone or Narcan 
(overdose) kits to the street entrenched population.

While Dr. Lem pushed the benefits of the harm reduction policies, 
emphasizing that the rates of communicable diseases like HIV, or 
Hepatitis C have dropped considerably through harm reduction, Read 
pushed the officials to come up with a more concrete plan to monitor 
and collect the needles distributed through Fraser Health programs.

Currently, Fraser Health has a contract with two service providers in 
Maple Ridge which run needle distribution programs: The Purpose 
Society, and Alouette Addictions.

Several councillors echoed the mayor's calls for Fraser Health to 
monitor the number of needles returned versus the number distributed.

"It certainly something doable," said Dr. Lem, but added that more 
sharps disposal containers around town would help the health 
authority to establish a more concrete figure.

Currently, the number of needles discarded in the City is hard to 
track, as there are numerous sources for the sharps (pharmacies, 
hospitals, needle distribution trucks, etc), as well as a lack of a 
centralized needle return location, explained Gibson.

But the officials did commit to funding and installing more sharps 
containers around Maple Ridge.

Coun. Gordy Robson disagreed with the effectiveness of harm reduction 
policies, telling the health officials "I do believe you have drank 
the Kool-Aid."

"Nowhere during your presentation did you make any mention of needle 
exchanges," said Robson.

"You have a contract in this community with the Purpose Society - 
they don't do exchanges, they give out needles by the handful," he added.

While Robson pushed for a one to one needle exchange program, Dr. Lem 
pointed out that restricting the number of needles available to drug 
users actually tends to increase the risk of harm or exploitation.

"A drug user who needs a needle will get a needle, whether its dirty, 
used, or clean," said Dr. Lem.

Restricting access to the needles could even have the unintended 
effect of creating a market for the needles, said Dr. Lem, which 
leads to needles being exchanged for sex or drugs.

"I think you're well aware of the concerns - we've been finding 
needles and we have to do something," said Read.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom