HARM REDUCTION BENEFITS ALL

Some people have been concerned that injection-drug users are getting
free needles while diabetics are not. First, many diabetics do get
free needles through PharmaCare and all diabetics who are on
provincial disability benefits are entitled to free needles.

More to the point, though, with a free needle exchange there will be
fewer needles left on the street for innocent bystanders to encounter.
There will be fewer people getting HIV and hepatitis from sharing
needles, which means less chance of healthy people accidentally
getting infected too.

And there will be fewer injection-drug users in crisis winding up in
our already crowded emergency rooms. Further, free needles will reduce
the number of property crimes that would otherwise be committed by
addicts to buy their needles.

In short, the point is harm reduction -- and that, in the end, leads
to reducing the harm suffered by people who do not use illegal drugs,
as well.

Mia Shinbrot

Victoria