VICTORIA CITY STAFF RECOMMEND ANY NEEDLE EXCHANGE BUILDING TO BE
OWNED BY PROVINCE OR VIHA

City Staff Recommends Exchange Be Run From a VIHA Building

Victoria city staff are recommending that any fixed needle exchange
be run from a building owned and operated by either the province or
the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

But harm-reduction advocates, including Coun. Philippe Lucas, say
that could be too restrictive and make establishing a location for
such a facility all the more difficult.

"There's restrictions on just hosting these facilities within
VIHA-owned buildings and I think that would limit the ability of
local non-profits to deliver some of these services," Lucas said.

"I think we should look for the best location and figure out where
that is before we make any commitments about where we are going to be
hosting these facilities. If that's a VIHA-owned and operated
building -- fantastic.

If it's a city-owned building, then that may be an option we should
consider as well."

The city's only fixed needle exchange on Cormorant Street was evicted
by its private-sector landlord in 2008 after ongoing complaints from
neighbours about problems such as loitering, public disturbances,
discarded needles, and urination and defecation in doorways and on
private property.

Proposals for permanent needle-distribution sites on Pandora Avenue
and Princess Street were also shelved because of community fears the failed

Cormorant scenario would be repeated.

But the issues surrounding the Cormorant site arose because it was
inadequately funded and because, as a facility, it was insufficient,
said Tamara Herman, spokeswoman for the Victoria Harm Reduction
Resource Centre Society, a group wanting to open a harm-reduction
centre complete with supervised consumption facilities.

"If those two problems had been dealt with in a timely and
appropriate way, we wouldn't have seen the issues that we had," she said.

City councillors will discuss the proposed policy recommendations for
any future fixed needle exchange at a special committee meeting today.

In addition to calling for a government-owned facility, the proposed
policy calls on VIHA to:

. Undertake full community consultation over site selection.

. Prepare and implement (in consultation with the city and the
police) a full operating plan to address site security, building and
site improvements and minimize negative impacts on neighbouring sites
such as litter and loitering.

. Develop a good neighbour agreement to address ongoing operational issues.

. Set a target to recover at least 75 per cent of all needles distributed.

The policy says the primary function of the needle exchange program
should be drug-use counselling, with secondary use as a needle exchange.

It says additional uses such as laundry or food service should not be allowed.

After more than two years without a fixed-site needle exchange, VIHA
plans to have small exchanges in 10 community facilities on Vancouver
Island operating by September.

Four of those will be on southern Vancouver Island, but they will be
low-volume sites.

Mobile exchanges are also in operation.

Lucas said the need for a fixed needle exchange is evident, however.

"You need only drive down the 900-block of Pandora [Avenue] to see
the incredible need for additional services for our entire street
community," he said.

Herman said VIHA and city officials have to do a better of job
communicating the benefits of harm reduction so such facilities are
accepted where they are needed.

"Harm-reduction services have to be where the people who need them
already are. It makes no sense to open up harm-reduction service at
the Jubilee Hospital or in some area where the people who use drugs aren't."