OTTAWA - A former prisoner infected with hepatitis C is suing the federal government over its refusal to allow clean-needle exchanges inside prisons. Steven Simons, who served 12 years behind bars, has the backing of several HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations in a suit that names Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, the Correctional Service of Canada and its commissioner. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, argues the government has arbitrarily disregarded the health evidence on needle exchanges in prisons. [continues 363 words]
A former inmate and a group of HIV advocacy organizations are suing the federal government for its ban on distributing sterile needles in prisons. Steven Simons, incarcerated from 1998 to 2010 in Ontario's Warkworth prison, says he contracted hepatitis C when he shared his drug injection equipment with another inmate. The lawsuit filed Tuesday names the Correctional Service of Canada and its commissioner, the public safety minister and the attorney general of Canada. Simons and four organizations including the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network argue the government is violating prisoners' charter rights by failing to provide sterile needles and syringes. [continues 376 words]
Ten minutes before intravenous drug users began walking through the door of the Allegheny County Health Department building in Oakland on a recent Sunday, Ron Johnson of Prevention Point Pittsburgh was arranging syringes. "Browns," the biggest needles, sat next to "pogos." Nearby were cotton balls, alcohol wipes, cookers, where drugs are dissolved, and tourniquets, which ease vein access. By the end of the day, 65 users had visited Prevention Point Pittsburgh to exchange their dirty syringes for clean ones. PPP, the only needle exchange program in Western Pennsylvania, works to reduce the transmission of blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis C by giving addicts clean needles to use in place of shared, dirty ones. [continues 1741 words]
About a month ago I was by the museum in Prince Albert taking photos for my sister's wedding and I noticed four used needles lying on the ground in a small space. It made me wonder if the needle exchange program really is working. There aren't a lot of places you can go without finding a used needle in public view. Even a couple days ago, I was working by St. Mary School and I saw three within 30 feet of the school. [continues 723 words]
AIDS Saskatoon will change some of its practices, the non-profit told Caswell Hill and Mayfair residents at a meeting focused on its needle exchange. Residents and business owners hosted the Thursday night meeting to raise concerns about the AIDS Saskatoon-operated 601 Outreach Centre needle exchange and dozens of people packed a Mayfair Library meeting room to criticize, defend and learn more about the program. Robin Riehl is the property manager for the strip mall across the street from the needle exchange and he told the crowd the concerns are about the unwanted activity outside the outreach centre and not the needle exchange itself. [continues 300 words]
Harm reduction review hits Abby council Monday Moments after parking in a central-Abbotsford alley, the Portland Hotel Society's mobile needle exchange van is quickly and quietly swarmed by half a dozen people. Hushed conversations ensue as the group congregates around the vehicle's doors to gather clean syringes, needle filters, crack pipes, alcohol swabs or condoms. There is no idle chatter. As soon as the men and women have their supplies, they scatter and vanish into surrounding streets and parking lots as quickly as they appeared. [continues 771 words]
JUDY Smith knew nothing about heroin until it had her only child, Daniel, in its grip. She and her husband, Ray, had raised their son in a stable home and sent him to a leading Catholic boys school in Sydney's eastern suburbs. They were not blind to his bouts of low self-esteem and anxiety but believed he was building the foundations for a happy, successful life. A bachelor of fine arts from the University of New South Wales was proof. [continues 555 words]
Council Will Revisit Harm Reduction Bylaw Abbotsford will re-examine its harm reduction policy. Mayor Bruce Banman said he plans to review the bylaw, which bans needle exchange facilities and other forms of harm reduction from operating in the city - despite the fact he hasn't seen a new report issued by Fraser Health. In the report, which was made public on Monday, Fraser Health indicates that a minimum of 500 intravenous drug users could be served in the Abbotsford area and a program would likely distribute about 120,000 needles per year. [continues 754 words]
Fraser Health Sticks It to Safe Injection Sites, Suggests Needle Exchange Is the Best Option for Abbotsford Fraser Health Authority released a proposed harm reduction plan centered around needle distribution for the City of Abbotsford on Monday. The proposed plan, authored by FHA public health director David Portesi, does not propose establishing a safe injection site within Abbotsford. The proposed needle exchange plan would likely need to serve a minimum of 500 intravenous drug users living in the Abbotsford area, and distribute about 120,000 needles annually, stated the report. [continues 751 words]
