CITY NOW WANTS INPUT ON WHERE TO PUT NEEDLE DROP BOXES

Location Of Sharps Drop Containers Is Still Controversial

The city wants to hear from the public before setting up needle drop
boxes around the downtown.

The Safer Nanaimo Working Group also wants to hear from the public
about its needle-drop box project.

The group is taking comments at an e-mail address set up to allow
residents input into where boxes should be located.

Three drop boxes are proposed to reduce the threat of discarded
needles in neighbourhoods where drug use is rampant.

"And we'd like to hear from them where do they find needles. Are they
in playgrounds?" asked Coun. Merv Unger, who co-chairs the committee
with Coun. Diane Brennan.

The project is part of the city's ongoing, overall approach to
address homelessness and its related issues of mental illness and
drug addiction. Harm reduction is a cornerstone of the plan to make
street life safer, both for addicts and other homeless people and for
the residents affected by homelessness.

"This isn't being done for the drug users, it's being done for you
and me," Unger said. "This is for the protection of children in
playgrounds and walking in streets. To be stabbed by an infected
needle can have serious consequences."

Needle drop boxes give addicts a safe place to dispose of used
syringes, reducing the threat of disease. It's a simple idea, but
Unger said it is surprisingly complicated to get an agreement on the
best way to install them.

The city is working with several branches of the Vancouver Island
Health Authority, RCMP, business owners, half a dozen community
organizations and social service agencies and drug users themselves,
to try to reach consensus.

"This gives you an idea, something as simple as putting three needle
collection boxes gets carried away to being a major project. I
suggested we make it easier for the public to have input and we will
do that through the special e-mail address."

The e-mail address needlebox@nanaimo.ca will remain active until June 20.

The committee plans to install the boxes after that.

No location would necessarily be permanent, but would depend on level of use.