NEEDLE EXCHANGE GOES MOBILE

Victoria's needle exchange will be operating out of vans and possibly
backpacks after being evicted from its Cormorant Street location at
the end of the month.

"We've not yet secured a fixed site and we're just moving forward
with plans to ensure some form of service delivery after May 31,"
said Andrea Langlois, a spokeswoman for needle exchange operator AIDS
Vancouver Island.

While AVI was still working on operation details Monday, Langlois
confirmed needles would be taken in and handed out "mostly in
vehicles but also on foot."

The looming eviction was announced in October after pressure from
neighbours applied for a court injunction to shut down the exchange,
citing disorder and waste in the streets around the Cormorant Street
site.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority bought the St. John's Ambulance
building at 941 Pandora Ave. in March to house the needle exchange
and other medical services, but VIHA, which funds the exchange,
backed down in the face of concern raised by parents from the nearby
St. Andrew's elementary school.

Losing the fixed site could lead to a spike in HIV and hepatitis C
infections, warned Craig Ballantyne, a recovering IV drug user and
volunteer with the Society of Living Intravenous Drug Users.

"A mobile exchange is going to be different. It's not going to be
good for people who are sick, it's just not going to help at all,"
said Ballantyne.

"A lot of people have to realize there's more to the needle exchange
than just the needles. You can get help. I've seen people walk in
there and they've been able to help get them into a place to live or
into the sobering centre for a week. They do a lot more than just
needles."

SOLID has offered to increase its foot-based needle exchange and
recovery patrols and is co-ordinating with AVI, Ballantyne said.

Benedikt Fischer, a University of Victoria sociologist who studies
addiction and harm-reduction strategies, also expressed concern about
higher rates of infection and loss of other support services.

While there is no existing research on mobile-only needle exchange
services, Fischer said it is important to offer clients regular times
and locations.

"If (mobile) is the only thing you're doing, you want to mimic as
closely as possibly the service a fixed site would offer," he said.

Fischer added he'd be "quite nervous" if vans were prevented from
parking and forced to drive around looking for clients.

"It's a little bit like saying if you need an ambulance, we won't let
you call one, you'll have to go and find it and then maybe if they
see you they'll come and help you out," he said.

VIHA "continues to support needle exchange services as a method to
reduce transmission of communicable diseases," said spokeswoman
Jocelyn Stanton.

She couldn't confirm Monday whether the health authority was
providing additional funding to buy or lease vans, or add staff to
work on the street.

While plans to move to the Pandora Avenue building remain "on hold,"
she reaffirmed they haven't been ruled out, nor is VIHA considering
other possible sites.