Canada: Program Helps Reduce Disease -- 835,000 Syringes Collected from Inner-City Addicts

The proof of the success of Streetworks, the agency running Edmonton's needle exchange program, is the 835,000 needles it distributed last year, advocates say. That's equivalent to more than one for every resident in the city. "It doesn't mean that Edmonton has a worse drug problem than other cities," said Program Manager Marliss Taylor. "It shows that they [intravenous drug users] are coming to us."

The project has been around more than 10 years in Edmonton and has evolved over time, Taylor said. The needle exchange is now augmented with front-line health services, education and referrals for clients. Taylor said the agency gave out needles to 5,000 addicts last year. While the total number of needles seems high, some addicts inject themselves more than 20 times each day.

Dr. Stan Houston, director of the Northern Alberta HIV Program and a professor at the University of Alberta Department of Medicine, describes the needle exchange as crucial for reducing the spread of HIV. There are about 100 new cases of HIV in Northern Alberta each year. "I have a high degree of confidence that the situation would be far worse here if it were not for Streetworks," Houston said. But it is also impossible, he said, to conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of needle exchange programs. Taylor said if Streetworks prevents even a few new cases of HIV each year, the savings to the health care system justify the expense of the program.

Streetworks is bracing for financial difficulties in the coming year, say the advocates. A funding program that provides physicians to Streetworks on a part-time basis is ending, as is an operating grant. Houston warns that while Streetworks is important for the health of the community, not many people in power will stand up and fight for it. HIV programs received more support when the disease was prevalent in the gay community, said Houston. It's tougher to raise money or gain the ear of politicians when it is largely a problem for drug addicts, he said.

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