NEEDLE EXCHANGE DELAYS DEADLY

When the Vancouver Island Health Authority closed the needle exchange
site on May 31, I am sure we were told they would find a new site
within six months.

Yes, it is important to have community consultation as part of the
decision-making process, but then a decision most be made. And, yes,
NIMBYism is an issue with any social service, whether fire stations,
group homes or, in this case, a needle exchange.

No one wants to hear fire alarms at 3 a.m., but decisions are made and
firehalls are built in someone's backyard. A fixed needle exchange
site will have neighbourhood concerns, but as a public health issue, a
decision must be made. The evidence is irrefutable that fixed needle
exchanges save money and lives. When will VIHA act responsibly, make a
decision and open a site?

Beverly Brookman

Saanichton