Nobody likes seeing used needles in their parks or neighbourhoods, including the people who hand out clean needles to druggies for free to stop the spread of disease.
But South Africa is facing a growing drug problem and needle exchange programmes are doing the best they can to collect as many needles as possible.
This was the overarching message given by Sean Shelley, a global expert on drug abuse and head of policy, advocacy and human rights at the NPO TB/HIV care, the programme that heads up the Step Up Project.
Shelley spoke at a community partnership meeting held by the Bellville Community Policing Forum (BCPF) on Wednesday, a newly-formed platform which aims to address security and safety concerns residents may have and which was spearheaded by Sean McLeland, who was recently elected chair.
One of these issues, raised at a previous meeting, is the anger residents feel over what they say is an increasing number of needles littering their suburbs.
The issue is not a new one. In 2016, TygerBurger published numerous articles in which residents voiced the exact same concerns (“Oakdale residents discuss problems,” 18 May 2016).
The Clean Needle project
Wilma Piek, social development manager of the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID), addressed a previous community partnership meeting in June as staff from the programme itself could not be there on the date and the CID had recommitted to working with the Step Up project shortly before, continuing a relationship of eight years.
She said the project was rolled out in Bellville as the area was identified as a high drug use area and the overarching objective was to stop HIV and other diseases that spread from using dirty needles.
In a press statement, released by the VRCID, they indicate there are an estimated 67 000 to 75 000 people who inject themselves with drugs in South Africa.
“The VRCID aims to destigmatise the preconception around drug users, not only to restore their dignity, but also to provide them with a safe space to mitigate the risk of HIV transmission through the Clean Needle Project. “
The project has an agreement with local authorities that people with needles on them are not arrested, since research shows “criminalisation of a drug user does not stop drug use (especially, an addictive drug such as heroin).”
When receiving needles drug users are supposed to take responsibility not to discard the needles in public parks, which is evidently not the case, and which the organisation knows many won’t do. The project employs cleaning teams – consisting of drug users – to clean the parks and pick up the needles discarded there. “The organisation also provides injecting drug users with containers to properly discard of their needles.” TB/HIV Care only replaces returned needles with new, clean needles.
Piek says substance abuse is an illness – substance abuse disorder – “it’s just that, not criminal behaviour.”
All of the addicts who are part of the Clean Needle Project receive weekly behaviour change intervention (a counselling/information session), six weekly TB screenings and STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) screenings and an HIV test.
“If they test positive on any of these screenings, they are immediately referred to the local clinic for intervention and treatment and the spreading of the disease is prevented.”
Multiple challenges
Shelley, who postponed a work trip to Canada to speak at the meeting, explained the dire situation facing South Africa at the moment and answered many complaints residents had.
He said he lived in Wynberg himself and it frustrated him finding needles in their local park, especially as he has children. And for that reason he doesn’t want to take his to the park. “It really bugs me. I sympathise with him about the problem.”
The number of drug users will continue to grow, research shows. “And it has to do with demand. No-one seeks out to become an injecting heroin user.”
But circumstances like poverty, trauma, domestic violence and a range of social issues are plaguing the country, with no sign of abating. A person who experiences six traumatic childhood events is 4 600% more likely to use drugs.
At the moment Step Up has a 78% collection rate, a large success, if you take into account the number of people they are serving.
He said they have a few solutions, but are limited by among other things, funds. Some of these solutions include special bins for the needles.
He recommended residents report used needles to a helpline (number below article) whereafter a team will be sent out to collect the needles.
He also welcomed help with identifying hot spots.
Tommy van Zyl, an Afriforum-volunteer and an Oakdale resident, questioned the project’s capacity to find hot spots.
“We sat at this same meeting five years ago, how can you still not know by now where the hot spots are?”
Shelley said users typically change their places of use accordingly after they are found, prosecuted or chased away.
Another resident told Shelley they were picking up needles in half-hour intervals in their neighbourhood.
“There is no simple answer to this. Tell us so we can be proactive.”
- Call 079 589 8834 to report discarded needles.
