HIGHLIGHTING PREVENTION & REDUCTION

Hep C Council Of BC Hoping To Spread Information In Abby Nov. 5-7

Identifying harm reduction strategies and how they impact individuals
with chronic disease will be a component of the upcoming Hepatitis C
Council of BC conference in Abbotsford.

Overall, the three-day conference from Nov. 5 to 7 will focus on
effective prevention of hepatitis C in order to save lives.

As such, the theme challenges the city's 'harm reduction bylaw,' a
zoning bylaw that bans services for intravenous drug users such as
free-standing methadone clinics and clean needle exchanges.

"Abbotsford has zoning that prevents the most effective way to combat
hepatitis C. It effectively makes it illegal to provide those services
(ie. needle exchanges), and those are the services most critical in
preventing Hep C among drug users," said Deb Schmitz, executive
director for the Hepatitis C Council of BC.

In May, after the BC Centre for Disease Control found that Abbotsford
had the third-highest rate of hepatitis C in the province, advocates
for harm reduction services held a rally at City Hall.

They included people from HCCBC, VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drug
Users) and the Drug War Survivors of B.C./Yukon.

The activists said the city's six-year-old bylaw stands in the way of
prevention and care. While the Fraser Health Authority could supersede
the local bylaw, it has been reluctant to offer services locally that
would cause friction with the city.

However, Mayor George Peary admitted in May that Fraser Health "is not
very pleased with us," and that the bylaw has prevented funding and
health services for drug treatment from being offered in Abbotsford.

Consequently, the city is reviewing its harm reduction policy and has
recently completed a survey among local service providers to define
and identify harm reduction services that exist here.

"We applaud the city council reviewing the bylaw and want to support
that process through our presence in the community for three days,"
said Schmitz.

Identifying harm reduction approaches and their impact on those living
with chronic disease such as Hep C or HIV/AIDS will be the focus of
pre-conference discussion on Nov. 4 at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium.

Chaired by Ron van Wyk, a community development director for MCC and a
housing advocate, the expert panel members will define harm reduction
and how it works in people's lives, said Schmitz.

The educational evening is specifically for city councillors and
staff, service providers and others who interact with drug users.

"We want people to hear from speakers on what is this thing, 'harm
reduction,' why do we continue with it, plus some evidence and theory
about harm reduction," Schmitz said.

The audience will also hear from three former and current drug users
whose lives were positively affected by harm reduction services.

The main conference is directed to those who manage patients or
clients with Hep C, those living with the disease and their advocates.

Presenters include people from BC Centre for Disease Control, the Hep
C Council, VANDU, Positive Living chapters, and a hepatitis C research
branch at the University of British Columbia's medical faculty.

The list of speakers includes Abbotsford criminal lawyer John Conroy.
A pioneer in B.C. for human rights for inmates, he'll be speaking on
Saturday evening on human rights and health care.

For more, see bchepcouncil.ca .