THE NEEDLE EXCHANGE DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH

We Need A New Facility That Includes A Safe-Injection Site And Drug Treatment

The recent furor surrounding the location of the needle exchange
should be welcomed in that it brings to light many problems
surrounding one of the bigger travesties in recent history.

That one of the richest countries in the world has 1,500 homeless
people on the streets of a relatively small city is inexcusable.

There is no one single explanation for this; one, about which I feel
particularly strongly, is of political duplicity of historic
proportions. Well-meaning, but misguided, advocacy groups have pushed
for the release from institutions into society of all mentally ill
patients. Various governments, left and right, have seen a political
opportunity to appear progressive, while in reality divesting
themselves of fiduciary responsibility for these people.

Untreated psychotic illnesses are progressive and pervasive. They
render the patient vulnerable to many social dangers and to the unscrupulous.

They impair the ability to organize life, and hence pursue
meaningful, gainful occupation.

A few people use drugs for thrill seeking and recreational purposes.
Some will use them to "see what it is all about."

The vast majority, however, are using drugs and alcohol to
self-medicate some form of pain, be it physical or psychological.

Some people are more prone to addiction than others, and some drugs
are more quickly addictive than others. Once the addiction has
occurred there is a rapid downward spiral. Few addicts can think
beyond getting their next fix.

Thoughts of getting their life in order or seeking work get pushed
away by the overwhelming and all-consuming physical and psychological craving.

This is skilfully orchestrated by the drug dealers who make fortunes
from this human misery.

I feel that very few drug users deserve judicial punishment -- they
are punished by the addiction every day. But for those pushers who
inflict this punishment, appropriate judicial punishment be meted out.

The next logical question is should we be enabling this process by
giving out, not only syringes, but all the paraphernalia for illegal drug use?

In order to answer this better, I visited the needle exchange. It is
a miserable little building with very few facilities, but staffed by
highly motivated and kind persons. In these limited physical
facilities they hand out not only the one million syringes per year,
but warm drinks, some food, and medical care by the attendant nurses.

Over the past 15 years, the number of syringes dispensed has gone
from somewhere around a few thousand to a million, and it is only
this year that they have received a budget increase.

The staff do not like the name "needle exchange," and refer to
themselves when answering the phone as "Street Outreach Services."

I went to visit Our Place, the potential neighbour for SOS. This is a
wonderful, modern building offering real hands-on help for all of who
need it. One of their philosophies is that they aim to give "a
hand-up" and not "a hand-out." They provide a large drop-in area, a
well appointed cafeteria, temporary storage facilities, a washer and
dryer, and spacious bathrooms, showers and a footbath -- as well as
two hot meals a day and as much warm clothing as they can get donated.

I would like to suggest that the needle exchange not be reopened, but
replaced by a comprehensive harm-reduction program, including a safe
injection site along with immediate and ready access for anybody who
is ready to kick their addiction.

The juxtaposition of Our Place will certainly catalyze any benefits
coming from a program such as this.

It seems ironic that St. Andrews School, one of the loudest opponents
of the relocation of SOS, is a Christian place of learning. Does
Christianity stop after morning service on Sunday? What about the
parable of the Good Samaritan?

OK, this is provocative hyperbole. All parents should be
ultra-protective of their children. SOS is aware of this. They
welcome the physical integration of a foot patrol of police with their program.

Further, part of the SOS staff job is to go and look for used
syringes, though most are returned to the facility. Users of the
needle exchange program are tracked by computer to ensure compliance
with the return of used syringes.

Can anybody dispute that the current system is a failure in many
dimensions? It is inhuman. Let us try something new. I hope that VIHA
has the courage and foresight to proceed with an integrated program
to offer the addicted "a strong hand up."