Safe injections sites

[Stan]

There is a place in Vancouver druggies can get clean needles and other needs, (NOT DRUGS) at a safe injection site. They can also get help to quit.

It is claimed this has reduced 'used needle sharing diseases' etc HIV, Hep-C etc etc

The Feds are trying to shut this down, as they feel this encourages drug use.

I like most would prefer them to stop using drugs.

WWJD?

[Neil D]

find the pain, apply the balm, bandage the wound....and then set them free.....

[Igakusei]

I know almost nothing about these programs, but this looks like a decent overview with plenty of sources at the bottom. Might work well as a starting point if you want to look into them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supervised_injection_site

[fccool]

I don't know how well it works, but whenever drug use issue is oriented around rehabilitation rather than criminalization, I think it's on the right track.

[Stan]

The courts sided with the folks providing a safe injection site..

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-co...g-advancer.html

[Gail]

I don't know how well it works, but whenever drug use issue is oriented around rehabilitation rather than criminalization, I think it's on the right track.

As far as I know, they are. My daughter, who counsels addicts, is firmly in support of them. That is the place where they have access to resources for help to get out.

[phkrause]

This looks like a great program.

[Overaged]

Gail I know what u r saying has merit but I also have to say that as a former needle freak I have concluded there is no such thing as "safe injections". Hopefully I don't get too many tomatoes thrown at me for this

[fccool]

I don't think that's an unreasonable statement. I think the idea is to make is safer for those who will do it anyway, with hope that it will provide a point of reference for people would would not know where to turn for rehab.

[Stan]

it is a similar question to should Churches promote using condoms in place that are high HIV areas (to unmarried people)?

[John317]

I don't believe the church should, but individual church members could. If I knew someone who I knew was having unprotected sex, I would certainly be willing to give him a condom and strongly suggest he use it.

I knew people who were HIV positive and were still having unprotected sex with people who did not know their sex partner was positive. There are a lot of foolish people who believe that they could tell by looking if someone is HIV positive.

There are others who (so they told me) actually wouldn't mind being HIV positive because then they can have unprotected sex with anyone they want. It's a scary, dangerous world out there for anyone who's not obeying God's laws or who has a partner who is not obeying God's laws. The truth, of course, is that the use of condoms is no guarantee that a person won't become HIV positive.

[John317]

...The Feds are trying to shut this down, as they feel this encourages drug use.

As you pointed out later in this thread, it is somewhat like the question of giving out condoms.

It is true that doing those good things may actually encourage drug use.

Many gays stopped having dangerous sex after they heard about AIDS, but now that they know there's less danger of dying from AIDS, many of those same people have gone back to being promiscuous.

I wouldn't be surprised if people think the same way about the use of drugs. If they see that there are ways of making drug use easier or less dangerous or painful in some way, they may be more likely to decide to use.

[Overaged]

it is a similar question to should Churches promote using condoms in place that are high HIV areas (to unmarried people)?

Stan; I love ya Bro, but I do disagree with this. I won't get into exact details but there exists a whole undrground underground movement - they use programs like this to get more drugs. Go to the clinic for a "safe shot" then get what you can outside. Drug addicts are masters at manipulating the system...

[M. T. Cross]

I lived in Vancouver before this, and then again after it was first implemented. I am all for it. I hated always being on the lookout for used needles. Nothing will ever clean it up. But to make it a bit safer for non needle using people is nice.

As a former addict, I found a way to get drugs no matter what. Its easy, and it has nothing to do with programs. I have no doubt dealers are hanging out close to the location. But really the last time I checked it was within a block of where they all were anyways......... its the best place to put it cause thats where all the junkies hang out.

[M. T. Cross]

Gail I know what u r saying has merit but I also have to say that as a former needle freak I have concluded there is no such thing as "safe injections". Hopefully I don't get too many tomatoes thrown at me for this

No kidding eh. This is why I always avoided needles. Not that what I did was any better, just less chance of dying quickly.

I knew this girl that wanted to know how high she would get if she shot coke straight to her temple. Apparently in the 2 seconds it took for her to hit the floor dead - she looked pretty high. She was 17.

[Overaged]

Originally Posted By: Overaged

Gail I know what u r saying has merit but I also have to say that as a former needle freak I have concluded there is no such thing as "safe injections". Hopefully I don't get too many tomatoes thrown at me for this

No kidding eh. This is why I always avoided needles. Not that what I did was any better, just less chance of dying quickly.

I knew this girl that wanted to know how high she would get if she shot coke straight to her temple. Apparently in the 2 seconds it took for her to hit the floor dead - she looked pretty high. She was 17.

I know Gail or Gail's daughter would be able to tell us more, but there is also a similar program near where I live and it is a small town yet so it's not just in the big city; but what I was going to say was that I can think of one thing such a center as this would be a great benefit for.

When I was doin the needle, we would have 4 or 5 of us sitting around in a circle, and we would just pass the same needle to everyone in the circle. We used diabetic syringes, mostly. But sometimes, all we could get were these great big honkers from the local vet. Of course, we were diligent in wiping it down after each use with an alcohol swab, if we had one. But we honestly had absolutely no idea how dangerous that was. We honestly thought we were doing it "right." If there was such a thing then as a "safe injection site;" I am sure that atleast some of us would have went to check it out; and I know for a fact the staff at such a place would have definitely educated us on how not to do our needle activities.

It was a source of mental torture to me for years, "Did I have this disease, or that disease?" Of course, when I wanted to get married, it was time for some battery of tests! But most of the anxiety and stress over this could have been avoided, in my case, if there was a "safe injection site" type of place to go to and get educated on what we were doing wrong.

But; on the flip side, if there was such a place then; I would not have hesitated to go and get what drugs I could, then go do some of my own to really "party." I'm not proud of any of this - that's just how it was though.

[Pockey]

EmptyCross and Overaged, I'm glad you're both healthy now. Thank you for sharing your past.

[Overaged]

EmptyCross and Overaged, I'm glad you're both healthy now. Thank you for sharing your past.

The past has it's consequences health-wise, and I am not without problems; but I am happy in our Lord!

[Pockey]

Amen Overaged.

[phkrause]

The past has it's consequences health-wise, and I am not without problems; but I am happy in our Lord!

[Nan]

I have just seen this thread.....Sydney has had a safe injecting room for several years

and the word is that it has reduced deaths from OD's.

Also in Australia, for many years before that, there has been a needle exchange program available

to addicts, something that seems to have limited the spread of HIV, etc, considerably. Of course

we have the problem here, but not to the extent it could have been.

I do not have a connection with any condom programs, but I am willing to prescribe the contraceptive pill to sexually active girls.

[Bravus]

Harm minimisation. Seems to me a lot of the laws in the Old Testament were not God's ideal - the ones for how to deal with slaves, for example - but served the role of harm minimisation.

Clean needle exchanges serve a similar function: not ideal, but given we live in a non-ideal world, keeping people alive is a worthwhile thing to do.

[Overaged]

Harm minimisation. Seems to me a lot of the laws in the Old Testament were not God's ideal - the ones for how to deal with slaves, for example - but served the role of harm minimisation.

Clean needle exchanges serve a similar function: not ideal, but given we live in a non-ideal world, keeping people alive is a worthwhile thing to do.

Your reference to the NT here makes sense, and that is a good parallel to draw. I guess I am just a little more uncertain than some as to whether or not this kind of program actually is a good idea...One thing is for sure; it's not all bad, and it does help some people...

[Stan]

What if the Adventist church ran a safe injection site? What message would that send?

[phkrause]

What if the Adventist church ran a safe injection site? What message would that send?

Excellent question. How many of our churches actually do anything for the community other than go around and pass out lititure etc.?