A Vancouver needle box

The sky-blue boxes sprinkled through the core of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) are keeping a slowly growing number of used needles off of the streets. And Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is currently examining the possibility of expanding the number of boxes around the city.

Now, yellow needle boxes are sprouting on Victoria City signs and light poles, as that city starts collecting needles with its own brand of boxes.

Last year, the report from the Victoria Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Illness, Addictions and Homelessness identified needle boxes as priority for the city. In May, the City installed five needle disposal boxes in the downtown core. Victoria worked with social service providers, City engineering and street cleaning departments to identify areas of concern. “Where we found needles, we put in needle boxes,” Victoria’s Manager of Corporate Communications Kate Josephson said.

The Victoria boxes were installed as a six-month pilot; within the first six weeks, the boxes had collected 250 needles. Coincidentally, Victoria’s fixed site needle exchange was closed and moved to a mobile service at the end of May. Josephson said that change may or may not disturb needle disposal patterns; that will also be part of the pilot review at the end of the first six months.

Josephson said while the downtown business community had requested the boxes, she hasn’t heard much feedback since the boxes were put in place. “Anecdotally thus far it’s been neutral to positive.”

In Vancouver, the City’s Engineering Department erected the boxes (the construction costs were covered by Vancouver Coastal Health) in July of 2006. The issue of collecting needles was originally raised around the time City Council endorsed, A Framework for Action, the 2001 document outlining the Four Pillars Drug Strategy.

While VCH pegs the current recovery rate of needles at 34 percent, in recent months it has been as high as 41 percent.

Earlier boxes were easy to break into so in 2006 the City’s works yard created a sturdy, quarter-inch metal box, after working on the design with input from some drug users.

Sara Young, Harm Reduction Program Coordinator with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority said there are now 27 needle boxes (up from 26) in the Downtown Eastside, between Carrall and Jackson Streets from Pender to Powell. Each box can hold up to 300 needles.

While VCH pegs the current recovery rate of needles at 34 percent, in recent months it has been as high as 41 percent.

Young said VCH is assessing the feasibility of installing further boxes in two Downtown Eastside parks, the Grandview-Woodlands area and the West End; she said they are involved in consultations with the West End Community Action Network.

“The Harm Reduction program uses needle recovery data to assess whether needle disposal boxes are necessary, or whether needle sweeps crews should be used to manage the issue of discarded syringes in any given area,” Young said in an e-mail. “When needle boxes are warranted, we consult with the City of Vancouver’s Engineering Services to determine where best to place the box and often work with community members to address questions or concerns regarding needle exchange and recovery.”

VCH offers a rapid needle recovery service 19 hours per day, seven days a week through the needle pick-up hotline: 604-657-6561.

Young added that there are numerous needle return sites throughout Vancouver, including seven community health centres across Vancouver and at 16 other community-based locations. VCH also keeps statistics on the locations and frequency of needle pickups throughout the city. If it determines that an area requires regular pickups, it adds it onto its regular sweep route.

VCH offers a rapid needle recovery service 19 hours per day, seven days a week through the needle pick-up hotline: 604-657-6561.