Provincial Government's Needle Exchange "Review" - You Gotta Be Kidding Me!?!
February 24th, 2009 by Tammy Robert
Source: Provincial Government's Needle Exchange "Review" - You Gotta Be Kidding Me!?! | News Talk 980
Last spring when, as per usual, the dirty needle crop started poking its deadly tips through the snow, I decided to do some research. Here's what I came up with:
In Saskatchewan, through needle exchange programs we - meaning the taxpayers funding the program - hand out over 3.5 million needles to drug users per year.
Alberta - a province with three times the population of Saskatchewan - only distributes just over 1 million needles through their exchange programs.
Breaking it down a bit further, consider Calgary against Saskatoon and Regina: In 2007, Calgary handed out 340,000 needles to their users. Saskatoon...1 million. Regina...2.3 million.
Approximately 10 - 15% of the needles handed out in Saskatchewan are unaccounted for - that's half a million dirty needles laying around. Watch your step.
Why, I wondered, are we handing out so many needles to junkies? Does Saskatchewan have three times as many drug addicts as Alberta? Does Regina have seven times as many addicts as Calgary? A little more digging revealed:
'Jack', a respected community leader in Saskatoon who works with a non-profit inner city organization said that when the needle exchange program in Saskatoon kicked off in 1993, it was a respectable program that exchanged one clean needle for one dirty needle. Today, its out of control, manned by frontline workers who either don't care or are too weary to take a stand against drug dealers - who demand boxes of clean needles in exchange for zero dirty needles.
What are the dealers doing with these boxes of new needles? Well, according to 'Mike', a Regina law enforcement officer who works closely with the drug unit, these clean needles are each being preloaded with a measure of cocaine - today's drug of choice in Saskatchewan - and sold as a convenient, individually prepackaged hit out of 'Shot Houses' - aka those lovely residences blanketing our cities' inner cores. It is taken for granted - an established fact within law enforcement organizations in Saskatchewan that every single needle sold from a 'Shot House' is a Health Region needle exchange needle.
In response to this investigation, Gormley took this info to the airwaves and asked listeners what they thought of the sheer number of needles being handled out in Saskatchewan, particularly in comparison to our neighbouring province. Health Minister Don McMorris joined the show and feigned concern, and then went on to commission a review of the needle exchange program in Saskatchewan. Today, the results of the review were released and in a word, are a joke.
Let's begin with the review's response (in quotes, all emphasis mine) to how Saskatchewan programs compare to other programs in Canada:
"We distribute more needles than other provinces because powdered cocaine and morphine are the most commonly used injection drugs in Saskatchewan, which require frequent injection...our two neighboring provinces have shifted towards use of crack cocaine, which is usually smoked. As a result, they (Alberta et al) distribute many fewer needles for their population than in Saskatchewan. If crack cocaine use spreads into Saskatchewan, the frequency of injection and demand for needles may decline here as well."
You read that right people. Our silly drug addicts are to blame - using ten times the number of needles as other provinces because they're behind the times, shooting up instead of smoking their drugs. So come on, get with it!
"While they (needle exchange programs) generally follow a one-for-one exchange principal, this relaxed on a case-by-case basis. The overall return record of the user may be considered, or the reason why they do not have returns (and they tell the truth, every time), such as having lost them in a move (don't you hate it when that happens?), or they are taking them back to a rural community for a group of people (How thoughtful! And fortunate, especially for the rural community)."
So what about those half a million dirty needles underfoot?
"Saskatchewan does a good job in coverage of injection drug use with clean needles. (I think "good job" might be putting it mildly.) The return rate of used needles could be increased, but the real issue is making it easier to safely dispose of used needles, for example more drop boxes in appropriate locations."
Really? The real issue is - no, not the sheer volume of needles handled out to enable drugs addicts to stay addicts - but making it easier for junkies to get rid of them after they're done shooting up...when they're all high, and worried about public safety, like I'm sure they are. There's half a million needles laying on the ground in Saskatchewan - because there's not enough garbage cans.
As for the staff, staff like those 'Jack' referred to, handing out boxes and boxes of clean needles to whomever turns up looking for new inventory...
"Needle exchange programs are well run by professional staff with many years of experience in working with people who have addictions issues. Doctors with specialized training provide medical oversight."
Okay, maybe that's true, given that this "review" was conducted by an external, unbiased party, without self-critique from the same "professional staff with many years of experience" whose salaries depend on the program's funding.
Let's get down to some of the "Recommendations of the Review":
"Extend existing best practices across the province...". Ohhhhhhh - best practices! You know those! Practices! The best ones!
"Provide a broad range of health care and social services to injection drug users...". Please, could you dumb it down for us a little?
"Strengthen provincial strategic support in data collection, analysis and sharing of best practices (the very best)..." Wait til tomorrow, when you hear how well the government's been doing in this area in respect to foster kids.
Finally, some 'Quick Facts':
"Saskatchewan has an estimated 5000 injection drug users...If each user averages about 1000 needles per year, this would mean an average of 5 million needles required per year. The needle exchange program distributes 3.8 million needles a year." Well then, we're 1.2 million needles in the black! What are we worried about?
"The risk of infection from being stuck by a needle point is extremely low. In Saskatchewan, we were not able to identify any such needle sticks, ever, that had resulted in infection." So what's your problem Saskatchewan, anyway? Worried about a little dirty needle stick...sheesh. Heyyy, maybe instead of calling the fire department to come out to pick up used syringes this spring, we should call youth groups! Like a bottle and can fundraiser, but with needles.
Am I a little annoyed? Definitely. Why? Because this pathetic excuse for a "review" is an insult to the intelligence of the general public. Because it means that the Sask Party government is buying into the mentality that the drug problem in Saskatchewan is better off "out of sight and out of mind". As 'Jack' pointed out when we spoke last, if the exchange program is scrapped or even significantly retooled, "a drug war will break out." And we don't want that now, do we.
___________________________
___________________________
What're your opinions on this? I'm very mixed on this one. I have a
Family member who's a Nurse and can spell out a VERY good
argument in favour of these free needles....but I'm also a resident of
what is called the CORE area (inner-city) of Regina and with Spring
coming in 6-8 weeks, I know thousands of needles will come up with
the snow melting on sidewalks and lawns and parks and school-grounds
and playgounds and...and...and....
February 24th, 2009 by Tammy Robert
Source: Provincial Government's Needle Exchange "Review" - You Gotta Be Kidding Me!?! | News Talk 980
Last spring when, as per usual, the dirty needle crop started poking its deadly tips through the snow, I decided to do some research. Here's what I came up with:
In Saskatchewan, through needle exchange programs we - meaning the taxpayers funding the program - hand out over 3.5 million needles to drug users per year.
Alberta - a province with three times the population of Saskatchewan - only distributes just over 1 million needles through their exchange programs.
Breaking it down a bit further, consider Calgary against Saskatoon and Regina: In 2007, Calgary handed out 340,000 needles to their users. Saskatoon...1 million. Regina...2.3 million.
Approximately 10 - 15% of the needles handed out in Saskatchewan are unaccounted for - that's half a million dirty needles laying around. Watch your step.
Why, I wondered, are we handing out so many needles to junkies? Does Saskatchewan have three times as many drug addicts as Alberta? Does Regina have seven times as many addicts as Calgary? A little more digging revealed:
'Jack', a respected community leader in Saskatoon who works with a non-profit inner city organization said that when the needle exchange program in Saskatoon kicked off in 1993, it was a respectable program that exchanged one clean needle for one dirty needle. Today, its out of control, manned by frontline workers who either don't care or are too weary to take a stand against drug dealers - who demand boxes of clean needles in exchange for zero dirty needles.
What are the dealers doing with these boxes of new needles? Well, according to 'Mike', a Regina law enforcement officer who works closely with the drug unit, these clean needles are each being preloaded with a measure of cocaine - today's drug of choice in Saskatchewan - and sold as a convenient, individually prepackaged hit out of 'Shot Houses' - aka those lovely residences blanketing our cities' inner cores. It is taken for granted - an established fact within law enforcement organizations in Saskatchewan that every single needle sold from a 'Shot House' is a Health Region needle exchange needle.
In response to this investigation, Gormley took this info to the airwaves and asked listeners what they thought of the sheer number of needles being handled out in Saskatchewan, particularly in comparison to our neighbouring province. Health Minister Don McMorris joined the show and feigned concern, and then went on to commission a review of the needle exchange program in Saskatchewan. Today, the results of the review were released and in a word, are a joke.
Let's begin with the review's response (in quotes, all emphasis mine) to how Saskatchewan programs compare to other programs in Canada:
"We distribute more needles than other provinces because powdered cocaine and morphine are the most commonly used injection drugs in Saskatchewan, which require frequent injection...our two neighboring provinces have shifted towards use of crack cocaine, which is usually smoked. As a result, they (Alberta et al) distribute many fewer needles for their population than in Saskatchewan. If crack cocaine use spreads into Saskatchewan, the frequency of injection and demand for needles may decline here as well."
You read that right people. Our silly drug addicts are to blame - using ten times the number of needles as other provinces because they're behind the times, shooting up instead of smoking their drugs. So come on, get with it!
"While they (needle exchange programs) generally follow a one-for-one exchange principal, this relaxed on a case-by-case basis. The overall return record of the user may be considered, or the reason why they do not have returns (and they tell the truth, every time), such as having lost them in a move (don't you hate it when that happens?), or they are taking them back to a rural community for a group of people (How thoughtful! And fortunate, especially for the rural community)."
So what about those half a million dirty needles underfoot?
"Saskatchewan does a good job in coverage of injection drug use with clean needles. (I think "good job" might be putting it mildly.) The return rate of used needles could be increased, but the real issue is making it easier to safely dispose of used needles, for example more drop boxes in appropriate locations."
Really? The real issue is - no, not the sheer volume of needles handled out to enable drugs addicts to stay addicts - but making it easier for junkies to get rid of them after they're done shooting up...when they're all high, and worried about public safety, like I'm sure they are. There's half a million needles laying on the ground in Saskatchewan - because there's not enough garbage cans.
As for the staff, staff like those 'Jack' referred to, handing out boxes and boxes of clean needles to whomever turns up looking for new inventory...
"Needle exchange programs are well run by professional staff with many years of experience in working with people who have addictions issues. Doctors with specialized training provide medical oversight."
Okay, maybe that's true, given that this "review" was conducted by an external, unbiased party, without self-critique from the same "professional staff with many years of experience" whose salaries depend on the program's funding.
Let's get down to some of the "Recommendations of the Review":
"Extend existing best practices across the province...". Ohhhhhhh - best practices! You know those! Practices! The best ones!
"Provide a broad range of health care and social services to injection drug users...". Please, could you dumb it down for us a little?
"Strengthen provincial strategic support in data collection, analysis and sharing of best practices (the very best)..." Wait til tomorrow, when you hear how well the government's been doing in this area in respect to foster kids.
Finally, some 'Quick Facts':
"Saskatchewan has an estimated 5000 injection drug users...If each user averages about 1000 needles per year, this would mean an average of 5 million needles required per year. The needle exchange program distributes 3.8 million needles a year." Well then, we're 1.2 million needles in the black! What are we worried about?
"The risk of infection from being stuck by a needle point is extremely low. In Saskatchewan, we were not able to identify any such needle sticks, ever, that had resulted in infection." So what's your problem Saskatchewan, anyway? Worried about a little dirty needle stick...sheesh. Heyyy, maybe instead of calling the fire department to come out to pick up used syringes this spring, we should call youth groups! Like a bottle and can fundraiser, but with needles.
Am I a little annoyed? Definitely. Why? Because this pathetic excuse for a "review" is an insult to the intelligence of the general public. Because it means that the Sask Party government is buying into the mentality that the drug problem in Saskatchewan is better off "out of sight and out of mind". As 'Jack' pointed out when we spoke last, if the exchange program is scrapped or even significantly retooled, "a drug war will break out." And we don't want that now, do we.
___________________________
___________________________
What're your opinions on this? I'm very mixed on this one. I have a
Family member who's a Nurse and can spell out a VERY good
argument in favour of these free needles....but I'm also a resident of
what is called the CORE area (inner-city) of Regina and with Spring
coming in 6-8 weeks, I know thousands of needles will come up with
the snow melting on sidewalks and lawns and parks and school-grounds
and playgounds and...and...and....
