AIDS SOCIETY WANTS INJECTION SITES

Increasing HIV and AIDS awareness in Kamloops is the only way to reduce
rates of the disease locally, says the executive director of the AIDS
Society of Kamloops.

Jesse McGregor appeared before city council yesterday, asking billboards be
put up featuring safe-sex messages as one way of fighting the increasing
number of cases appearing in town and noting Kamloops has the highest HIV
and AIDS rates per capita in the province.

"If Nike can sell me shoes based on a billboard ad, then surely to God we
can prevent this disease based on the same elements. Instead of saying
buckle up, we could be saying cover up."

McGregor also called on council to put safe-living messages in city
publications.

HIV and AIDS rates in Kamloops are on the rise, but in no way is it just a
local problem. One controversial idea put forth by McGregor as a way to
battle the spread of the disease between intravenous drug users is to
establish safe injection sites.

Similar sites were opened in Europe, resulting in an 80 per cent reduction
in petty crime, says McGregor.

"We will have injection sites, it's a matter of time. This is about
treating addiction as a disease, not a criminal activity."

She advocated changing the way students are taught about the disease.

"Getting to kids when they're in grades 8 to 12 in our culture is too late.
They're having sex earlier than that. They're using drugs earlier than
that. At some point we have to tell them the straight goods about the disease."