Pubdate: Fri, 07 Oct 2016
Source: Tri-City News (Port Coquitlam, CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Tri-City News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/3X3xlf9Y
Website: http://www.tricitynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1239
Author: Jeff Nagel
Page: A8

FRASER HEALTH FOCUSES ON HARM REDUCTION

Needle collection, peer outreach part of initiative

A new regional harm reduction strategy being developed by Fraser
Health will focus on collection of used needles, provision of clean
needles and smoking supplies, and outreach by recovered addicts to
active drug users.

The health authority has struck an agreement with RainCity Housing and
Support Society to help develop the expanded services, which exist in
some but not all parts of the region.

Dr. Ingrid Tyler said it's hoped peer outreach led by RainCity will
help educate users on safe use and discard of needles, and better
persuade them to reach out for addiction treatment and other health
services when they are receptive.

Those former addicts would also be on the front line of providing
users with clean supplies, containers to safely store discarded
needles instead of dropping the in public, and helping alert users
when a spike in dangerous overdoses happens.

"We want to ensure we create access across the whole region and there
are no areas being unintentionally missed in terms of adequate harm
reduction access," she said, but added the rollout will consider
community-specific factors.

Tyler said it's too early to say which new communities could get
additional harm reduction services, or what they might be.

The agreement doesn't involve the most controversial side of harm
reduction - supervised drug consumption sites that advocates say have
been effective in preventing overdose deaths in Vancouver's Downtown
Eastside.

Fraser Health earlier this summer committed to pursuing supervised use
sites in multiple communities as part of its broader strategy to
combat overdose deaths.

Asked if Fraser has yet reached agreement with any local
municipalities on priority sites for supervised use, Tyler said those
conversations are ongoing.

"It's a service that we would like to be able to provide to those who
need it across the region," she said.

"We continue to work with our various partners in communities across
Fraser to identify where these services would be the most appropriate
and have the greatest impact."

The federal Liberal government has so far given no signal it will
relax the Safer Communities Act passed by the previous Conservative
government that requires local support and clearance of a series of
other hurdles in order to open any new safe injection site.

The drug overdose crisis in B.C. had claimed 488 lives this year as of
the end of August, with 172 of those deaths in the Fraser region.
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MAP posted-by: Matt