CRIES FOR CLEAN NEEDLES

Abby Has B.C.'S Third Highest Hep C Rate, Mayor Peary 'Wants to Be Open-Minded'

Carrying mock coffins and hoisting signs that read 'Harm Reduction
Saves Lives,' more than 80 activists from Vancouver and Abbotsford
rallied at the civic square on Tuesday to draw attention to the
city's high Hepatitis C infection rate, and what they called its
'harm production' bylaw.

According to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, Abbotsford has the
third highest rate of Hep C infections in B.C., where the numbers are
already double the national rate.

But the city's 2003 bylaw, which effectively bans stationary or
mobile needle exchange and other harm reduction strategies, stands in
the way of prevention and care, said the protesters.

"This is a caring community - what's going on here? We need to make
them see the error of their ways," said Deb Schmitz with the
Hepatitis C Council of B.C.

"I saw this 15 years ago in the Downtown Eastside, the need for
education and awareness," said Richard Cunningham, with the Vancouver
Area Network of Drug Users.

A former licensed practical nurse and a recovering addict with Hep C,
Cunningham said everyone has to be on board to address drug addiction
and its related health issues.

"It takes the whole community, from the user, everybody. We need good
rapport with city hall, the police, the health authorities, the
people. [As an addict], you can still care of yourself, but when you
have roadblocks, it makes it a lot harder," he said.

With 70 to 80 per cent of intravenous drug users infected with Hep C,
providing services such as clean needles can go a long way to help
prevent the spread of blood-borne infections such as Hep C and HIV,
said Dr. John Farley, an infectious diseases specialist who treats
local patients.

"I think it's a very regressive step," he said about the city bylaw.

"People need options. Harm reduction has helped people. It's really
unbelievable that methods that would prevent Hep C are shunned by a community."

But change may be coming. A proposal to review the city's position on
harm reduction should come before Abbotsford city council on June 7.
The request comes from the city's social development advisory
committee, said Mayor George Peary.

As a city councillor in 2003, Peary supported the bylaw, but admits
his perspective may be "less entrenched" than it was.

"I want to try to be open-minded on this," Peary said this week. "I
would hope council would at least look at the bylaw in the current
situation," which includes factors such as the high rate of Hepatitis
C in the city.

A review could lead to the creation of a harm reduction policy, and
that would shape the actions of the city, the mayor said. Currently
the city defines 'harm reduction' in the bylaw, and restricts related
services from most of the city.

"Our response has been a very simple one. What we have now is really
prohibitive."

He noted also that Fraser Health "is not very pleased with us," and
that the bylaw likely prevented some funding and health services for
drug treatment from being offered here.

An updated policy on harm reduction may change that, he suggested.

Any changes to the bylaw must go to a public hearing, Peary said.

Note: While Fraser Health authorized the B.C. Centre for Disease
Control to distribute clean needles within the health authority, it
was on the condition that agents would respect local city bylaws.
Fraser Health does not condone breaking local regulations. That was
unclear in the Times May 18 story. Also, although promotion for
Tuesday's march suggested coffin bearers would be drug users, at
least one, Jason Handysides, said that was simply not true -
specifically in his case.