NEAULT VOICES FRUSTRATION WITH NEEDLE EXCHANGE

Coun. Maurice Neault's hard-line stance against needle exchange
programs drew some ire and stunned looks from his fellow city
councillors this week.

After a discussion about discarded needles during an executive
committee meeting, Neault argued against Saskatoon's program.

"We don't supply needles to diabetics so why do we supply them to
drug users? They should keep their problems in house and go back to
sharing their needles," Neault said.

The needle exchange program has become a salient issue in recent
weeks after members of the city's health community took steps to
counter what they call "needle hysteria" with concerns mounting over
discarded syringes found in parks and playgrounds.

City council's executive committee was being briefed by fire Chief
Brian Bentley on cleanup efforts under the program, which provides
drug users with clean needles and encourages them to dispose of used
needles appropriately.

The Saskatoon Health Region distributes more than one million needles
each year. Ninety-three per cent, or about 930,000, are returned.
This does not include those that are returned to any of the 12 needle
dropoff boxes in the city or needles bought privately.

In an interview, Neault clarified his remarks, saying he believes
needle exchange programs promote drug use. He's recently been through
a difficult personal situation with a family member fighting drug
addiction, he said.

"I didn't mean to be that harsh," he said. "For me, it's a real
personal issue. . . . I'm not a red neck but it's how a lot of people
feel out there."

He wasn't wishing harm to drug users, Neault said.

"In the old days, people took care of their needles," he said.

At the meeting, city councillors agreed to lobby the provincial
government to include bar codes or some other identifier to better
track the source of distributed needles.