JUNKIES NOT GETTING POINT

Responsible city junkies are rounding up more than their share of used
needles, but it's not enough to stem the tide of old syringes flooding
Calgary.

That's the problem faced by a city task force formed yesterday to
tackle the trash left behind by an estimated 6,000 heroin and
crack-cocaine addicts now shooting up here.

"The city's bought into the fact it's a city-wide problem, and that's
an important first step," said Virginia Wheeler, co-ordinator of the
Safeworks needle-exchange program.

City needle-exchanges brought in 40,000 more used syringes than the
415,000 handed out last year, but less than half of junkies use the
program -- the rest just leave their "works" lying around.

"I think people are more responsible for their friends here because we
don't have a skid row," said Wheeler.

"They've got people using in their home and they're collecting
everybody's needles and bringing them in."

But dealing with the needles left behind by the 4,000 junkies not
using Safeworks will be the job of the city task force being led by
Calgary's Fire Department.

"People are asking how to clean this up themselves, so the fire
department wants to educate and organize -- we'll show people how to
pick the needles up properly and dispose of them," said department
spokesman Lieut. John Conley.

Health officials estimate 3% of city IV drug users are HIV positive,
with 75% carrying the hepatitis C virus. About half of Calgary junkies
prefer crack cocaine, the rest heroin, and most use both.

Last year, hundreds of needles were found in parks and playgrounds
throughout Calgary, with caretakers at Almadina Charter School in
Victoria Park finding at least one syringe a day.