Pubdate: Mon, 16 Apr 2012
Source: Kenora Daily Miner And News (CN ON)
Copyright: 2012 Kenora Daily Miner and News
Contact:  http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/855
Author: Jon Thompson

NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM OPENS DOORS TO CITY'S MOST VULNERABLE
POPULATION

Kenora's needle exchange increased 28 per cent last year - and that's
normal.

The Northwestern Health Unit program mostly based out of the Morning
Star detox centre handed out 69,340 needles in 2011, up from 49,720 in
2010.

Rather than considering the steady increases as evidence of ballooning
illicit drug use, Morning Star detox centre manager Patti-Dryden
Holmstrom views it as successfully injecting safety into the streets.

"The needle exchange is an entry level service," she said. "People who
might not access our service in any other way are coming through our
doors to use that service. This is an opportunity for unit attendants
at Morning Star to have other crucial conversations like safe usage
patterns and safe disposal... We try to make the best use of that meeting."

Those working in the field see lower rates of the blood-borne
infection, Hepatitis C as directly related to the increased access to
safe needle use. In Northwestern Ontario, the Hepatitis C rate was 29
per 100,000 compared to Ontario's 36.0 and in 2011, the local number
rose to 31.2 to Ontario's 39.9 per 100,000. The HIV rate in the region
is regarded as "negligible," meaning it's so low it isn't regarded as
significant.

Dryden-Holmstrom said in the past year, her staff has seen a shift in
the drug of choice in Kenora's streets, morphing from the discontinued
Oxycontin to another opiate, heroin, as well as hydromorphine. Abusive
techniques have already appeared in OxyNeo, the drug which replaced
Oxycontin earlier this season. Manufactured as a gel, as not to be
boiled and injected, addicts have discovered smoking it can still
bring the high they crave.

Morning Star's staff sees potential danger in the evolution, as a user
accustomed to taking 80 mg of Oxycontin could easily overdose on the
same amount of hydromorphine.

Opiates impact the brain's ability to naturally produce pain through
its receptors and the body stops producing natural chemicals to help
manage pain. The longer opiates are used, the more permanent the
change can be and receptors can stop reproducing.

"We're asking people to make this switch when their body is almost
working against them on it," said Gillian Lunny, the manager of the
sexual health program for the Northwestern Health Unit. "People can
have a little more compassion for someone withdrawing from opiates and
very well could have some long-standing chronic pain. We're all human
and as we age, our joints wear out and we have muscle issues so we're
going to have a little bit of pain. It's difficult and I think there
has to be some compassion around people who are trying to make those
life changes."

Lunny pointed out quitting smoking or changing one's diet, exercise or
lifestyle is difficult for anyone but the most unhealthy, most
discriminated against, most vulnerable population has psychological
and personal factors that require the sensitivity that can only be
provided by a holistic and inclusive approach.

"On its very worst day, our needle exchange program is giving out free
stuff to people and giving them the tools they need. On our best day,
our needle exchange programs are an open door program for people who
have very few doors open to them," she explained. "We need our
community to open our doors and open our minds to our most unhealthy,
most vulnerable population. That's what communities are for. I can say
we have a very good relationship with a lot of agencies in town,
including law enforcement and we've come a long way but we still have
a long way to go." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D