Pubdate: Sun, 25 Sep 2016
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Tiffany Crawford
Page: 3

UBC'S NALOXONE KITS UNCLAIMED

Drug-use stigma cited, as not one student has picked up free opioid
antidote

Free kits of naloxone are going unclaimed at the University of B.C.
because students don't want to identify as illicit drug users, experts
believe.

The complimentary kits of the potentially life-saving opioid antidote
have been offered to students since the spring as part of a harm
reduction program amid an ongoing fentanyl health crisis across the
province - but as of Friday, none had been handed out.

Brian Spencer, UBC's interfraternity council president, believes that
the reason may have to do with students worried about having "drug
user" go on their health records.

"I can understand why students don't go and get the kits. If a person
just smoked weed a couple of times or something like that they are not
going to want to say they are a drug user," said Spencer, who added
that he was sharing his own opinion and not speaking on behalf of the
fraternity council.

Spencer said that while he doesn't take drugs, he knows many students
will use them recreationally, at a party or other social gathering. He
says it is unrealistic to assume that students are not going to take
the odd line of cocaine or a tab of ecstasy when they party.

He believes health services should hand out the free naloxone kits,
which cost around $50 at a drugstore, to students with no questions
asked.

"It should be anonymous. B.C. is in the middle of one of the biggest
fentanyl crises we've seen," he said. "I don't agree that students
should have to say they are using drugs."

The kit that UBC provides is part of the B.C. Centre of Disease
Control's Take Home Naloxone program. Patricia Mirwaldt, director of
UBC Student Health Services, said the kit is available to any UBC
student who uses illicit drugs without a prescription.

The students are trained in how to inject naloxone.

She said at the moment, health services provides the kits only to drug
users because that is how they were trained in the provincial program.
However, she said officials will check with the province to see if
they can be more flexible.

"Our aim is to reduce harm for UBC students," she said.

In a statement, B.C. CDC operations manager Jonathan Spence said the
Take Home Naloxone program has a mandate to provide free naloxone to
members of marginalized populations and those who are at high risk of
opioid overdose.

"The program does not supply kits to other populations at this time,"
he said, adding it is up to the dispenser to determine eligibility for
naloxone and that those who don't meet the criteria can buy naloxone
over the counter from pharmacies without a prescription.

But SFU criminologist Neil Boyd says "it's crazy" to ask students to
identify as illicit drug users before giving them naloxone kits. He
said that, overall, cigarette smoking presents a greater public health
risk than occasional drug use, but because society has made illegal
drugs a moral issue, it is difficult for students to admit to
occasional or recreational use.

"We have to reduce the stigma," he said. "We have these cultural
binders about illegal drugs that shouldn't be there. So let's save
lives and give this antidote to people."

Boyd believes naloxone should be available to students for free or at
least at a subsidized cost with no questions asked, similar to how
condoms are handed out to combat sexually transmitted diseases.

He doesn't believe having illicit drug use on a medical record would
result in implications for a student in the future, but said it is
understandable students don't want to take that chance, given the
current stigma.

Naloxone kits are now available in 297 sites throughout B.C.,
including most emergency departments, three provincial correctional
facilities and one federal correctional facility. Naloxone is also
carried by all ambulance crews and 46 fire departments.

According to B.C. pharmacists, training is important because the
administration of naloxone requires an intramuscular injection.
Non-prescription naloxone at B.C. pharmacies is available only as a
liquid to be used with a syringe. In July, the federal government fast
   tracked approval of a nasal spray, which requires much less training
to use, but that is not yet available.

Recent data from the coroners service show that 488 fatalities
involving illicit drugs have been recorded in B.C. this year, compared
to 505 deaths for the whole of 2015. In most cases the deaths were
related to fentanyl.
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MAP posted-by: Matt