THE DRUG BLIGHT

The proliferation of used needles in the Downtown Eastside is raising
questions about safety and strategies

I would use a slightly different adjective than "warehouse" if the
statistics quoted in the July 18 article, "Downtown Eastside is a
drug warehouse, police say," are correct. John Turvey claims that,
for every needle the exchange program gives out, it gets one needle
back. But it also claims to have given out 3.4 million syringes a
year!

I only hope that was a misquote, for although I might respect their
ideologic claims, that works out to more than 65,000 needles a week.
If they are giving out this many, week in and week out over a period
of 52 weeks, then I think "warehouse" might just be a little too
genteel.

More appropriate might be "dumping ground for drugs," "drug-infested
area" or "drug-industry controlled neighbourhood." Whatever the
adjective to describe this blight, that many needles a week is just
too obvious a fact to be ignored any more.

Bill Grulkey

Vancouver

Just a quick clarification for Sergeant Mark Horsley on the policies
and practices of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities needle
exchange of which John Turvey is the executive director and I am the
manager (Drug crisis outpaces resources to deal with it, Letters,
July 20). We do indeed recover more than 100 per cent of the needles
we give out, through a combination of straight exchange and community
pick-up/needle recovery strategies. We also provide comprehensive
training and necessary equipment to community members to foster safe
handling of needles and other hazardous products.

However, needles are also available through a number of other
sources, including medical clinics and drug stores. Mr. Turvey's
comments and mine refer only to the DEYAS exchange.

We completely agree that residents and businesses should not be
subjected to finding discarded needles and we will continue to pursue
whatever strategies we can to prevent and, when necessary deal with,
such occurrences.

Judy McGuire

Manager, Health Outreach Programs

Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society