A look inside a safe supply vending machine recently installed in Nipawin (Submitted photo/Laurie Kratochvil)

By Susan McNeil

HARM REDUCTION

Outrage over safe supply vending machine in Nipawin but advocates say it’s needed

Nov 3, 2022 | 5:00 PM

A newly installed vending machine in Nipawin is raising some angry eyebrows with its contents of crack pipes and meth needles.

Resident Laurie McGillivary said she was not happy to see the machine– part of a Harm Reduction effort in the downtown area.

“I was outright angry,” she said. “My life has been peppered with drug addicts in it and I don’t think that the answer to helping them is giving them more ways to do drugs.”

“Why do drug addicts need clean needles and pipes when what they’re ingesting is poisonous in itself?” she asked. “It is known that drug addicts frequent parks and other places that kids play and they don’t care if they leave dirty needles behind but I’m supposed to care if they have clean paraphernalia.”

She does not think that the concept of harm reduction works, saying the nature of an addict is to live in the moment.

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“A drug addict is a person of opportunity. They just use what they’ve got right there, right now,” said McGillivary.

However, advocates for these vending machines like Prairie Harm Reduction say the perception of those who use substances is often skewed, and negative rhetoric and backlash to these programs do more harm.

“People that use substances carry a lot of stigma in our communities and we often have to stop and remember that they’re human beings and often human beings that are struggling with lots of complex needs,” said Executive Director Kayla Demong. “They deserve support, they deserve health, and they deserve to be treated with dignity.”

She added community support is vital for helping those overcome substance abuse.

“One thing that we do know with people who are using substances is that the more they feel they belong somewhere, the more likely they are to find resources to change and find the resources to address the barriers they are facing.”

The vending machine in Nipawin is stocked with packages that include pipes for smoking methamphetamines and needles. McGillivary doubts the vending machine will actually work, saying It would make more sense if they pushed for more mental health and addiction supports

“It’s a crime. I don’t understand all the crybabyness of this. I don’t understand why we’re supposed to be supporting this,” McGillivary said.

But if needles and pipes are shared, so will diseases. Saskatchewan is well known for having high rates of STIs such as HIV and syphilis, which doubles annually in the province. Harm reduction also includes dispensing condoms.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) did not respond with more details prior to publication, but several months ago said that along with Nipawin, a machine would be placed in Prince Albert.

Other vending machines have been in places like North Battleford and Saskatoon for years with Demong saying the province recently committed to adding about four or five throughout Saskatchewan.

Nipawin has had a needle exchange program for a while but the new needles were available at the Nipawin Hospital.

Users could also get new pipes, opioid replacement therapy (methadone), and pick up naloxone kits, which are distributed for free.

To use the vending machine, a person goes into the nearby office and gets a four-digit code for free.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com