Ottawa exploring clean needles, crack pipes vending machine pilot project
Posted Jan 5, 2017 04:56:51 PM.
Last Updated Jan 5, 2017 05:33:19 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA — Public Health officials are exploring a pilot project to place five clean needles and crack pipes vending machines for injection drug users around the city.
The cost of the project would be covered by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and would be used to combat transmission of infectious diseases across the injection drug user population.
It comes as the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre prepares a formal application to the federal government to operate a supervised injection site.
Dr. Vera Etches, the City’s Deputy Medical Officer of Health, tells 1310NEWS the vending machines are meant to “fill a gap” for injection drug users by ensuring access to clean needles.
Public Health Officials are examining systems that would address a number of concerns
“People think there may be risk of used equipment being discarded unsafely and so, we’re looking at a solution where the sterile supplies would be provided in a box that is the container for disposal of the used equipment,” said Dr. Etches.
The vending machines would only be accessible to people who have a token or a card issued by harm reduction services.
