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| Needle Exchange Programs Urged |
| By cbc.ca |
| Published: 02/02/2010 |
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A report on drug use in prisons urges the federal government to set up needle exchange programs for inmates. Rates of HIV and hepatitis C infections in prison are 10 to 20 times higher than in the general population, says the report to be released Tuesday by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. "Because of the scarcity of needles and syringes in prison, people who inject drugs are more likely to share injecting equipment than people in the community," the report said. "This significantly increases their risk of contracting HIV and HCV." The report noted that as of 2009, prison needle and syringe programs have been introduced in more than 60 prisons of varying sizes in at least 10 countries in Europe and Asia, producing positive results and few problems. "In spite of the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of (the programs), at this time no Canadian prison permits the distribution of clean needles," the report said. "This harms the health of people in prison, given the increasing presence of HIV and (hepatitis C) behind bars. "This also creates a further risk to public health more broadly [because] the vast majority of people who spend time in prison return to their families and communities." The network's purpose is to promote the human rights of people living with, or vulnerable to, HIV/AIDs. Read More. |
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