Govt moves to encourage use of clean needles

Press, 3 April 1987, Page 1

Govt moves to encourage use of clean needles

By

PETER LUKE

in Wellington

Intravenous drug users are being urged to return dirty needles under the “clean needle” scheme unveiled by the Government yesterday.

Under the scheme a drug user will buy clean needles and syringes from certain chemist shops. By cashing in the old needle, a replacement could be bought for about 80c. This was the same price as a diabetic paid for needles, said the Minister of Health, Dr Bassett. Without a trade-in the price would be higher. The message of the scheme was ‘‘Don’t inject. Seek treatment. But if you do inject, never share needles. Buy your own.” Dr Bassett rejected an Opposition claim that drug users would . get free needles. It would be wrong for such people to get needles cheaper than diabetics. Chemists would not be forced to sell needles, but Dr Bassett hoped that emergency chemists, at least, would participate in the scheme. Those who did might be identified by a sticker in their window. Chemists who sold

needles would also encourage their user-clients to attend drug-depend-ence clinics, but attendance would be voluntary. Dr Bassett said packets of needles would contain a Health Department recommendation to attend clinics. This would be part of a publicity campaign about A.I.D.S. Money for the campaign was being sought in this year’s Budget. Last November Dr Bassett opposed a recommendation by the A.I.D.S. Advisory Council that mobile clinics should distribute needles.

He,said yesterday that the change of mind indicated that he placed a higher priority on A.I.D.S. prevention than drug misuse.

He said the decision was the most difficult of his career and made with some reluctance. He was certain it was the right decision, however.

Dr Bassett agreed with

a comment by an A.LD.S. Foundation spokesman that drug addiction might be cured, but A.LD.S. could not.

The scheme would- not begin until the need for law changes had been clarified. The Cabinet’s legislation committee would consider the need for changes next week. If no changes were required, the scheme could begin immediately. Dr Bassett said there were about 2400 intravenous drug users in New Zealand. About 20 per cent attended drug-de-pendence clinics. The real problem was with the other 80 per cent among whom there was a high rate of needle-shar-ing. American studies had shown that more than three-quarters of people who had been infected with the drug heterosexually had contracted it from intravenous drug users, Dr Bassett said. "What this means is

that a rapid spread of A.I.D.S. in drug users in New Zealand could be the source of a future heterosexual epidemic, as it is becoming abroad.”

Since last November the number of notifiable cases of A.LD.S. had risen from 25 to 27. More than 200 people had antibody positive, and most of these would end up with full A.LD.S., Dr Bassett said.

The Government was determined to act decisively to counter A.LD.S., particularly the threat to women and children. A number of women had contracted A.I.D.S. antibodies from their “mates” who were intravenous drug users.

If drug users had their own equipment, they would not share needles, out of fear of A.I.D.S. “While you may have a group of people together sharing an experience, they would not share needles,” Dr Bassett said.