By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

ARCHES to temporarily cease distribution of drug paraphernalia through walking outreach teams

Jun 22, 2018 | 2:23 PM

LETHBRIDGE – In response to those in the community who have engaged in meaningful and informative discussions, ARCHES says it is making some good-will gestures and changes to the way drug paraphernalia, including syringes are accessed.

During the coming weeks, ARCHES’ walking outreach teams will no longer hand out any needles, pipes, cookers, alcohol swabs, tourniquets and other items related to illicit drug use.

“We recognize the need to try and balance both the community health and safety and well-being with the health, safety and well-being of drug users in our community, “says Managing Director, Jill Manning. “As such, we will temporarily be ceasing the distribution of all drug-related, harm reduction supplies while we are engaged in walking outreach.”

The walking outreach team consists of a few dozen volunteers who walk throughout the downtown area of Lethbridge Monday through Friday evenings. They will still hand out safer sex supplies and basic needs supplies like bottled water and socks, and will work to maintain relationships with the drug using population.

Manning says the number of needles handed out each day and each week varies wildly, depending on weather conditions and how recently users have received any finances they get on a regular basis, but it hovers around 50 needles per night.

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“There will still be materials distributed from the facility (supervised consumption site), because we know that material distribution is in keeping with the recommendations from both Health Canada and form the World Health Organization as best practice in order to prevent the transmission of blood-borne illnesses.”

And Manning wants to be clear that the new initiatives are as a result, she says, of those people who have taken the time to learn about what ARCHES does, and who have expressed their concerns in a constructive way.

“We understand that the community is very concerned right now. We want to validate those concerns. We are concerned as well. We are members of this community as well. However, what this wasn’t, this wasn’t a response to some of the more inappropriate behaviours and actions that we’ve been seeing over the last few weeks.”

She adds that the intent of the change is that ARCHES doesn’t make it as easy for people to use in parks and other public places.

“If we are coming to them in parks and distributing supplies in parks, we do recognize that the likelihood is that they will then use in that setting, and that we don’t want to be encouraging that behaviour.”

In the coming days there will also be five new needle boxes installed in public areas identified by ARCHES as being hotspots for drug debris. The non-profit organization will also will be changing the way they collect data around needle pick-ups and return rates.

“Our current return rates that we’re reporting, those aren’t reflective of whether a needle has been picked up in (the) community, or whether it has been dropped off at our facility. And so, we will now be separating that data.”

Mayor Chris Spearman says he wants to make sure the city is doing the best it can to also keep the community as safe as possible, with parks workers now trained in needle pick-up and disposal, and also expanding the downtown Clean-Sweep program.

“I’m a strong proponent of making sure we have enough needle boxes. I really appreciate the support of ARCHES, and the role that they’ve taken. They’ve taken a lot of unfair abuse in the community throughout this process.”

He adds that the city will also continue to advocate to the provincial and federal governments for more support services.

“We have very few options in terms of how to provide them (users) with ongoing treatment and where to refer them. We were identified as a city in this province that didn’t even have the resources that Medicine Hat or Fort Macleod already have. So, you can understand the frustration that we’re dealing with in terms of dealing with drug addiction and the drug problems that we have.”

Spearman also says he’s saddened by some of the comments he’s seen directed at him and council over the last weeks.

“I love our city. I think its reputation is suffering unfairly by overexposure on social media. We want people to respond to issues appropriately. We want them to use the processes we’ve provided to them for reporting, needle debris. I think when people go to social media every time they have an issue, that inflames it beyond what it needs to be.”

Manning says so far during the month of June, there have been more than 9,000 visits to the supervised consumption facility, and they’re on track to hit 10,000. She says during the first month there were 2,500 visits, 5,000 in April and May each.

It’s not clear how long the new policy will continue, but Manning says it will remain in effect for the coming weeks and possibly months.

Critics of ARCHES have been advocating for a needle exchange program, the use of retractable needles and more accountability for needle and other drug debris. A local petition echoing those concerns so far has more than 3,000 signatures.

Councillor Blaine Hyggen also asked for a Community Issues Committee meeting to deal with local concerns, while also debating whether it would be a good idea to pass a resolution to potentially ban ARCHES from distributing needles altogether.

The motion for the meeting passed unanimously, while the idea to debate a ban was voted down.

And on May 30, a child walking home from school on the city’s north side was pricked by a needle as he was picking up rocks. He must undergo HIV testing for at least the next several months. Others have said they’re afraid of needle debris in playgrounds and parks and have been calling for change.