canadian hiv/aids legal network
Needle exchange in prisons makes sense
By Richard Elliott, Vancouver SunRe: Ideology, not reality, drives Tories' AIDS policy, July 24
Peter McKnight's column nicely showcased the flawed logic in the government's approach to HIV/AIDS, where relevant evidence is ignored.
One area not specifically addressed is the high rates of HIV and hepatitis C in Canada's prisons. We argue -with ample evidence to back it up -that providing clean needles and syringes in prisons would help curtail the spread of disease. More than 90 per cent of people in prison eventually return to society. Doesn't it make sense to ensure that the least possible number of them acquire infections while inside?
The lack of needles and the damage done
If needle exchange works in Canadian cities big and small, then why do we refuse to implement the practice in our prisons?Andre Picard, Globe and Mail
Providing clean needles to intravenous drug users is a broadly accepted and successful public health measure: When you reduce needle-sharing, you prevent transmission of blood-borne illnesses like hepatitis C and HIV-AIDS.
AIDS panel reiterates call for prison needle exchange
By Carol Sanders, Winnipeg Free PressWINNIPEG — The longer Parliament is on hold, the longer prison inmates are sharing dirty needles and diseases with the community at large, former prisoners and health advocates say.
The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network was supposed to appear Tuesday before the Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security calling for a needle exchange where inmates can trade dirty needles for clean ones.
"Prorogation swept us off the table," said spokesman Gilles Marchildon. "Every day we delay in taking a better approach is a day where more prisoners are contracting HIV and hepatitis C."
Read more »A sharper approach
By Mindelle Jacobs, Edmonton SunImagine kicking our politicians out of office for a while and replacing their cowardice and ideological stubbornness with the evidence-based, straight thinking of experts.
Pot would have been legalized long ago. Perhaps a regime would have been set up for the legal regulation and sale of all drugs based on their potential harm.
Drug addiction would be considered a health problem, not a criminal matter. And people who got into trouble with the law because of addiction would end up in treatment centres, not prison.
Read more »Needle-exchange programs 'necessary' for prisons: Report
By KATHLEEN HARRIS, Parliamentary BureauOTTAWA — Needle-exchange programs are a “pragmatic and necessary” way to stop the spread of deadly and financially draining diseases like HIV and hepatitis behind bars, according to a report to be released Tuesday.
The 42-page report from the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, called “Under the Skin,” features testimonials from 50 federal and former inmates and aims to raise public awareness and rally support for needle and syringe programs in penitentiaries.
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