Pubdate: Thu, 04 Jul 2013
Source: Moose Jaw Times-Herald (CN SN)
Copyright: 2013 The Moose Jaw Times-Herald Group Inc.
Contact: (306) 692-2101
Website: http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2154
Author: Austin M. Davis Page: 3

CLEAN NEEDLES

Harm reduction program still discretely providing services

Somebody walked into the W.G. Davies building on Wednesday morning,
rang the buzzer on the door in the back left corner of the lobby and
exchanged their used needles for new, clean ones. As many needles as
they wanted.

That was one of 55 monthly visits to the needle exchange
program.

"That could be repeat visits or it could be people getting for other
people," said Joann Blazieko, communicable disease coordinator for
Five Hills Health Region (FHHR) Public Health.

Blazieko said that users are typically injecting morphine or
Ritalin.

Within the past six months, Wellbutrin, a prescription
anti-depressant, has become a popular choice for injection. Blazieko
said it gives the user a similar high to that of cocaine.

The service is for anybody that is doing drugs intravenously - and it
is intentionally discreet. Clients use fake names to help them feel
comfortable.

The program operates on Mondays and Fridays from 2 to 4 p.m., but
Blazieko and the other communicable disease nurses prioritize clients
above the schedule.

The Davies building is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Any of the 15
communicable disease nurses that are there can provide safe disposal
for used needles and hand out clean syringes, cookers or spoons and
alcohol swabs to sanitize the injection area on the body.

"That's why the service is there and we don't limit the amount we give
because with limited hours, then you're telling them to share,"
Blazieko said. "If they come off hours, they ring the doorbell and we
will answer the doorbell and provide them with the service they need."

She said that her and her staff do everything possible to assist all
clients. That extends past the needle exchange.

In addition to educational materials, immunizations and condoms,
Public Health offers testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV,
syphilis and gonorrhea.

"We're trying to prevent the amount of people getting hepatitis C and
if you don't provide clean needles, we will have an increase in it,"
Blazieko said.

Though Moose Jaw is still seeing cases of hepatitis C due to sharing
needles, she said the number has decreased since the program started.

The harm reduction program, including the needle exchange program, for
injection drug users was established by Public Health in August 2002.

"There was a survey done at that time and we saw the number of clients
being served in Regina and Saskatoon. We knew that there was a
problem," Blazieko said.

She said Regina and Saskatoon still see a lot of clients from Moose
Jaw because of the increased anonymity in larger cities.

The Moose Jaw-South Central Region Drug Strategy from 2006 stated that
in April of that year, there were 35 clients, ranging in age from 30
to 50, using the harm reduction program.

Blazieko, in nearly 10 years with the communicable disease program,
has seen clients beat their addiction with counseling and education.
Some users go on to the methadone program.

"We do have some long-term clients but I don't think we have them that
long," Blazieko said. "Some of the repeats, we have them for a couple
of years."
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MAP posted-by: Matt