NEEDLE VAN SITE SPARKS MORE DEBATE

Speakers Disagree On Where It Should Park

The Point Defiance AIDS Project's needle exchange van is a good
thing, Tacoma residents agreed Wednesday night.

Where that free service should operate, however, is a matter of
intense debate.

About 15 community members aired impassioned opinions about the
program during a meeting of the Tacoma-Pierce County Board of Health.

Among those who spoke were a police officer, a businessman, a City
Council member, a religious leader, a college student, a former
heroin junkie and a parent -- all with a stake in the van that often
sits at South 14th and South G streets.

Opponents of the van's current location repeatedly spoke of its
detrimental effects on the neighborhood's efforts to become a
thriving part of the city. They complained of finding needles on the
street, having to keep children hidden from preying drug dealers and
that it scares customers away from local businesses.

They said 14 years of carrying the burden of the van was enough.

"Twelve years ago, the needle exchange program was probably in the
perfect place," said Jenny Jacobson, a security officer for Bates
Technical College. "The neighborhood has changed."

Supporters of the location, which numbered about the same as
opponents, argued that the current site is where the most people can
be reached. Several who live near the van said they are proud to be
part of a neighborhood that welcomes those in need. Petra Boston, a
former junkie, said the van was the starting point of her recovery.

"The van is in the perfect place for homeless people," she said. "I
want to thank the city of Tacoma."

Behind the issue is more than a year of discussion and meetings
among citizens, community groups and the Board of Health.
Wednesday's debate was but a step in the process toward a solution.

No official decisions were made, but the issue will continue be
examined at future community and Board of Health meetings.

One factor in the debate is the frequency of people visiting the van
has dropped from an average of 681 a month last year to 470 a month
during the first seven months of 2006, according to the Point
Defiance AIDS Project.

Some say this is evidence that drug users are using the other
methods of acquiring needles. Others say it's a sign the van is in
the wrong place.

Regardless, the Board of Health says it's concerned with finding the
best way to serve the public.

"There really is nothing magic about South 14th and South G
streets," said Nigel Turner, a spokesman for the board. "It's just
the most efficient place we've found. If a better location can be
identified, we'll move."