News (Media Awareness Project) - CN SN: Needle Exchange Defended |
| Title: | CN SN: Needle Exchange Defended |
| Published On: | 2006-04-28 |
| Source: | Prince Albert Daily Herald (CN SN) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-14 06:11:37 |
NEEDLE EXCHANGE DEFENDED
A Councillor's Concerns About Discarded Syringes Have Been Eased.
Ward 2 Councillor Greg Dionne shared his needle concerns with the
Prince Albert Parkland Health Region board when it met Wednesday in the city.
Dionne told board members he supports the needle exchange program,
but feels something must be done about all the discarded syringes
throughout the city.
Dionne said one resident found more than 20 syringes on his property.
"I've got all kinds of calls from residents," he said.
The councillor agrees preventing HIV and hepatitis C in the
intravenous drug population is important, but not at the expense of
everyone else.
"Our first job is to protect the innocent," he said.
Dr. Leo Lanoie, medical official for Prince Albert Parkland Health
District, said the needle exchange program is not the cause of
Prince Albert's discarded syringe problem.
He said many needles come into the city with the drugs. About 98 per
cent of the needles the health district hands out get returned. The
health region knows this because it only hands out one specific
brand of syringe.
Lanoie said if the health district were to discontinue the exchange
program, the number of discarded needles would vastly increase.
"Instead of dealing with 9,000 to 10,000, we'll be dealing with
hundreds of thousands of discarded needles in the community," Lanoie said.
Regarding the safety of innocent residents, Lanoie said there has
never been a recorded incident of anyone contracting HIV or
hepatitis C from getting accidentally pricked by a littered needle.
Dionne said he was satisfied with the meeting, happy that the city
and health district have begun communicating on the issue.
He said he would tell residents that many of the needles probably
come from outside the health district.
Dionne also suggested many residents might think discarded needles
are more dangerous than they actually are. He partially attributed
this to a perception that syringes are best handled by the fire department.
He said residents must still be concerned about their health and
safety regarding discarded syringes, but the health concerns might
not be as dire as many people think.
A Councillor's Concerns About Discarded Syringes Have Been Eased.
Ward 2 Councillor Greg Dionne shared his needle concerns with the
Prince Albert Parkland Health Region board when it met Wednesday in the city.
Dionne told board members he supports the needle exchange program,
but feels something must be done about all the discarded syringes
throughout the city.
Dionne said one resident found more than 20 syringes on his property.
"I've got all kinds of calls from residents," he said.
The councillor agrees preventing HIV and hepatitis C in the
intravenous drug population is important, but not at the expense of
everyone else.
"Our first job is to protect the innocent," he said.
Dr. Leo Lanoie, medical official for Prince Albert Parkland Health
District, said the needle exchange program is not the cause of
Prince Albert's discarded syringe problem.
He said many needles come into the city with the drugs. About 98 per
cent of the needles the health district hands out get returned. The
health region knows this because it only hands out one specific
brand of syringe.
Lanoie said if the health district were to discontinue the exchange
program, the number of discarded needles would vastly increase.
"Instead of dealing with 9,000 to 10,000, we'll be dealing with
hundreds of thousands of discarded needles in the community," Lanoie said.
Regarding the safety of innocent residents, Lanoie said there has
never been a recorded incident of anyone contracting HIV or
hepatitis C from getting accidentally pricked by a littered needle.
Dionne said he was satisfied with the meeting, happy that the city
and health district have begun communicating on the issue.
He said he would tell residents that many of the needles probably
come from outside the health district.
Dionne also suggested many residents might think discarded needles
are more dangerous than they actually are. He partially attributed
this to a perception that syringes are best handled by the fire department.
He said residents must still be concerned about their health and
safety regarding discarded syringes, but the health concerns might
not be as dire as many people think.
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