PLAN TO SLOW SPREAD OF DISEASE INCLUDES NEW NEEDLE
EXCHANGE

New Project Increases Harm-reduction Effort Across The
Island

The Vancouver Island Health Authority expects a needle exchange site
planned for Nanaimo to be operational as early as late summer.

Nanaimo is expected to operate one of 10 sites across Vancouver
Island, including four in the Victoria area, as VIHA moves ahead with
its harm-reduction strategy aimed at preventing the spread of
infectious diseases among drug users, such as hepatitis C and HIV.

Sixty potential distribution points across the Island were identified
by VIHA but only 10 will be piloted as the first phase of the
harm-reduction model is implemented.

The Nanaimo needle exchange site will not be publicly identified until
details are worked out, said VIHA spokeswoman Shannon Marshall.

Pending the evaluation of the new sites, similar services could be
rolled out at remaining VIHA sites. Earlier this year, officials
short-listed approximately 12 potential sites in Nanaimo.

"This (pilot project) is part of a phased-in approach," said Marshall
on Friday. "Ideally, what we'd like to do is make sure we've got some
kind of harm-reduction supplies available at all VIHA sites."

In November, VIHA chose to increase needle exchange services
Island-wide. Clean supplies available to addicts was expanded to make
clean needles available at public health units and other VIHA sites.

Widespread distribution helps take the pressure off a single site,
which can turn into hangouts for addicts who regularly access supplies.

In Victoria, a fixed needle exchange site was shut down in 2008 amid
reports of neighbours who were upset because too many users
congregated there.

Hepatitis C infection rates on southern Vancouver Island fell from 83
infections per 100,000 population in 2004 to 53 per 100,000 in 2008.