Southern Health begins sterile needle program

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This article was published 28/12/2017 (2696 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Local public health offices have launched a new harm reduction program that provides clean supplies to intravenous drug users in an effort to curb infections.

“The need is there,” said Carmel Wiebe, a public health nurse based in Steinbach.

Under the program, individuals can visit any Southern Health public health office to receive syringes, gloves, tourniquets, sharps containers, cooker spoons, sterile water, alcohol swabs, Vitamin C packets, condoms, and educational pamphlets.

Users can choose which and how many items they want, and drop off full sharps containers for safe disposal.

While they remain anonymous, Wiebe said users can expect a public health nurse to ask a few basic questions to gauge their general health and current resources. Routine testing for sexually transmitted or blood-borne infections may also be encouraged.

“We’re not keeping tabs on who came when and how often they come. We want them to come more than we want to know who they are,” Wiebe said.

The goal is to curtail infection rates among a high-risk population by reducing needle sharing and increasing familiarity with local public health offices.

Preventative programs like this one result in fewer illnesses, infections, and overdoses, which translate into fewer hospital stays and emergency room visits, Wiebe noted.

“I think it will make a difference in the long run,” she said.

By meeting drug users where they’re at, the program also aligns with the “big picture” goals of public health.

“We want to reduce the amount of harm that people are doing to themselves, no matter what they’re doing. A little bit of health is better than no health,” Wiebe said.

The difficulties associated with drug addiction mean complete avoidance may not be realistic, a press release explained.

The program also brings Southern Health in step with public health practices in other jurisdictions.

“The rest of the province, and actually our whole country, have been moving in this direction for a long time,” Wiebe said, adding Southern Health has no plans to provide safe injection sites.

While free sharps containers have long been provided to insulin users, Wiebe said intravenous drug users are unlikely to visit local pharmacies to get them.

Over time, she hopes the program normalizes routine testing. As the riskiest way of taking drugs, intravenous use brings with it an increased risk of HIV and Hepatitis C infections.

According to Southern Health, about 100 people are newly diagnosed with HIV, and another 350 with Hepatitis C, in Manitoba each year.

Simple demand prompted the creation of the program, Wiebe recalled.

“The questions were coming and we wanted to respond to the need that was surfacing,” she said.

“We were seeing a lot of damage done to people who are on drugs, and they were having a lot more difficulty managing themselves.”

Word-of-mouth referrals have helped the program to grow. In Steinbach, Wiebe estimated 10 to 15 individuals made use of it over the past year.

“Some are curious to know what we supply, and some know exactly what they want,” she said.

For a list of Southern Health’s public health offices, visit southernhealth.ca or call Health Links at 1-888-315-9257.