In a province where a judge ruled the inSite safer injection site was a fundamental legal right for injectors, somehow a needle exchange was allowed to close simply because “stupid” neighbours didn’t want it operating in their neighbourhood.

Victoria’s user group, SOLID, has been running a guerrilla exchange within the no-harm reduction zone where the fixed needle exchange used to be.  SOLID members patrol the streets with back packs providing clean syringes and doing clean up of the area for discarded used needles.

Finally it appears that Victoria may be getting a fixed needle exchange again:
Victoria News – Needle exchange location eyed

Another of those it’s about time situations.

U.S. needle exchange history

Finally!  Albeit 20 years – and many, many, many thousands of deaths – late.  Still better late than never.  Hopefully a harbinger of more good changes to come.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commented:

Sound science is an essential component of good public health policy, and the scientific support for needle exchange could not be more clear. The Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes for Health, the World Health Organization, and former Surgeon General David Satcher have all confirmed the scientific evidence in support of needle exchange programs. These initiatives are an effective public health intervention that reduces the number of new HIV infections without increasing the use of illegal drugs.
– The Gavel