Discarded needles are not litter. They are a real public health concern.

As for Dr. Nykamp giving the figure of 500,000 needles being handed out, none is mentioned, nor never provided to me as to how many needles are returned in such “needle exchange” programs. I venture to guess far less than even 10 per cent are returned.

I feel the needle exchange needs to be looked at closely.

City and region officials should be made aware of how many are being returned and such figures should be public.

Safer injection sites?

If even one person were to utilize them, one less needle on the ground.

Yet, would an addict or user be able to wait to get his fix until at an injection site?

Injection sites should, if passed, be at existing public health facilities.

Perhaps looking at sub-police stations in empty storefronts in all of our core areas.

Provincially and federally, laws may need to be changed, giving higher penalties to convicted drug dealers.

Fentanyl and other opioids are known very well to have the capacity to kill.

They are not selling weed, they are in essence purveyors of death; likely some who have laid upon our own coroner’s table.

This is not a one-tiered issue.

It is one that is likely not to find any quick conclusion as to how it all plays out.

A person using such drugs must seek help. Until they do, we will likely have a drug issue, a public health and public safety issue.

And as I find myself writing more about this issue, I am faced with even more questions and few, if any, real answers.

Joe Lethbridge

Cambridge



