NEW NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM

The ANKORS Society recently made a presentation to Cranbrook City
Council regarding the success of a needle exchange program in the
West Kootenay that they would like to implement at their office.

The needle exchange program focuses on the theme of harm reduction, a
set of non-judgemental approaches aimed at providing services and
support for people to be safer and healthier.

Presenting to council were Executive Director Gary Dalton and Board
Member Deb Summers, both of which took turns advocating for the need
to implement such a program. They both stress that although harm
reduction emphasizes a change for safer practices, it still has the
long term goal of abstinence in drug use.

They explain that oftentimes, a needle exchange program is seen as an
enabling vehicle for drug use, and point out that while providing
clean needles may not stop drug use, they can help cut down on the
spread of blood borne pathogens.

The exchange drop box will be located outside the Family Connections
building which will allow for streamlining of treatment. Users will
be able to receive referrals to physicians, mental health and
counselling, detox, drug rehabilitation, legal aid, transition
housing and more.

Such a program in the West Kootenay has been running since 1998 and
it has been a huge success. Quarterly, the society in Nelson receives
130 to 140 registered clients with a 94 percent exchange rate. They
average 120,000 needles given away each year.

East Kootenay Addictions Services partnered with ANKORS to put out a
survey as part of an information gathering initiative. Of the 39 that
participated, half were located in Cranbrook, a third are employed in
the community and representation from male and female were equal.
Stimulants, such as cocaine were more widely used than opiates such
as heroin. The number of needles used were directly associated with a
respondents drug of choice.

"Half the respondents are positive for Hepatitis C," says Dalton,
"and half of the respondents reported sharing their needles and
equipment." He says that the reasons respondents replied to in
regards to sharing needles were because of drug use in couples and a
lack of clean needles. "A quarter of the survey participants have
used the current needle exchange service at public health and few
people would purchase needles at a pharmacy," continues Dalton.

Other services offered at the Family Connections building such as
Better Babies and Big Brothers Big Sisters are on board with the
program. Dalton says that while the building will house the exchange
site, efforts will be made to encourage clients that it is not a safe
injection site. Needles that are exchanged will be taken to Interior
Health where they will be properly and safely disposed of.

The exchange drop box will be located on the back wall of the
Cranbrook Family Connections building by the Viking Skate Park.