Talks of regulating needle distribution in Penticton ‘disappointing’: harm reduction advocate

A staff report to Penticton city council on Tuesday says the city has the legal authority to regulate the distribution and collection of harm reduction needles, but needs the green light from the province to proceed.

On July 16, city council directed staff to review and report back on options to regulate sharps in the wake of public outcry over improperly discarded needles in public spaces.

A viral video in June showed a young girl claiming to have been pricked by a discarded needle at Skaha Lake Park, sparking outrage in the community.

A month prior, the superintendent of the Okanagan Skaha School District spoke out about the increase in discarded needles on school property, calling it an almost daily occurrence.

A group of Penticton residents took matters into their own hands and launched a community clean up event — scouring beaches and parks for discarded sharps.

City staff say they’ve spent the past few months investigating the issue and plan to draft and introduce a bylaw giving council the option to regulate the distribution of needles.

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“We have received legal advice on this approach. While this type of measure may be contrary to harm reduction best practices, it is an option for Council to consider,” reads the “Sharps Response Update” penned by planning manager Blake Laven and bylaw services supervisor Tina Siebert.

“The bylaw can only be adopted after obtaining Ministry of Health approval since it relates to the restriction or potential restriction of an individual’s access to health services,” the report says.

Approximately 167,000 needles were ordered for distribution in Penticton in 2018.

Interior Health said that there are approximately 440 people in the Penticton area who inject drugs, and one to 10 per cent of needles handed out are improperly discarded.

Debbie Scarborough, the executive director of the South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS) said staff pursuing the bylaw is “disappointing.”

“It’s quite surprising, actually, because I quite frankly don’t think that municipal bylaws will supersede health authorities acting on behalf of the World Health Organization.”

Scarborough said she’d also be shocked if the Ministry of Health approved the move.

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“We know that across this country other municipal governments have tried, and they failed. There’s been two in this province, both failed. So it’s kind of surprising that the city is spending resources on something that has already been proven,” she said.

Meanwhile, the staff report notes that the Community Sharps Committee expanded its collection system with dozens of new sharps collection boxes installed in strategic areas. It has had its desired effect, reducing the amount of sharps discoveries in parks and on beaches.

“The city still responds to hundreds of calls of sharps discoveries on private properties and places of worship, and assists with safe disposal when notified,” the report says.

The city has spent approximately $20,000 in response to the sharps issue. The funds went towards the purchase and installation of the sharps containers as well as outreach materials.

While some have called for the needle distribution program to be scrapped altogether, medical health officer Dr. Karin Goodison said the program is vital to public health.

“What we will see is an increase in the rate of HIV and Hepatitis C in this community as we did in the early 1990s when we last had an overdose epidemic,” she told council in July.

Scarborough said the citizens of Penticton “should be extremely concerned.”

“It actually puts everyone at risk, so I would encourage all citizens that are concerned to let the city know that this is not a fair representation of the community in which they serve,” she said.

Staff said they intend to bring a comprehensive report to council in early 2020 with options, including a draft bylaw.

Interior Health said 29 people died of an illicit drug overdose in the South Okanagan in 2018, and thirty people died in the region the year prior.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions said municipalities cannot unilaterally bring bylaws into force “that could restrict access to health services such as needle distribution” without provincial approval and consultation with the Medical Health Officer and regional health authority.

“Overall, the risk to the public is extremely low,” the statement said. “There has never been a report of anyone who has acquired HIV, or any other pathogen, from a needle-stick injury from a discarded needle in a park or any other public place in B.C.”