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The city of Hamilton is planning to
launch new programs to cut down on used needles discarded in its neighborhoods.
About 100 complaints were received regarding discarded needles last year,
including some from city staff who found them during road work or park
maintenance. The programs await ratification from the council.
The three new initiatives approved
by the board of health on June 18 are: training outdoor staff to safely deal
with used syringes; increasing hours for the city’s safe needle-disposal van;
and hiring a social worker to help shelter employees work with addicted
clients.
The van initiative comes after the
April closure of one of the city’s few needle-exchange programs, located at
Marchese Health Care. The NEP at the Wesley Center, which had operated daily
around the clock, ended in July 2010. Only one NEP remains, at Hamilton Urban
Core Community Health Center, and it runs only on the third Saturday morning of
each month.
Drug users soon will have access to
the needle-disposal van from 8 p.m. to midnight on Saturday nights. “We need to
be out there and be proactive - it’s unfortunate - but at the time the service
is needed,” said Councilor Jason Farr. His downtown ward includes the Beasley
Neighborhood, whose association has raised concerns about the impact of drug
use.
When the social worker is added to
the staff, the goal will be to help train shelter employees to “develop
strategies and skills to deal with difficult clients with addictions,”
according to city staff.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
