Homer City Council member, Catriona Reynolds, who is also the Clinic Manager for Kachemak Bay Family Planning, announced this week that there will soon be a needle exchange in downtown Homer. Reynolds said at the regular meeting of Homer City Council, Monday, that the pilot project is being made possible by a grant from The Awesome Foundation. KBBI News Director, Daysha Eaton interviewed Reynolds about the project.
Daysha Eaton: “At the Homer City Council meeting this week you announced that a needle exchange will soon be coming to Homer. What’s happening?”
Catriona Reynolds: “Well, what’s happening is various community members from different directions realized that we need to do something as a community to address the increase in heroin and opioid use. And one of the important pieces is harm reduction, which is for people who are currently using, having clean supplies so that they don’t get site infection or long-time life infections like hepatitis C or HIV. So we gathered together about eight people, interested stakeholders, community members, people who have experienced addiction themselves and talked about, how could we create a syringe exchange program. I went up to AAAA's in Anchorage – it’s an agency in Anchorage who’s just using four A’s as their name now. But it’s an AIDS awareness association who’ve had a syringe exchange program for probably close to a decade now.”
Daysha Eaton: “So where will it be?”
Catriona Reynolds: “Dr. Spencer was actually able to communicate with the hospital and they're going to be able to allow us to use their training and education facility which is on Pioneer Avenue. So that’s great, it means we’ve got a facility at no charge. So really the only expense if we drive this as a volunteer effort is supplies, and they’re not very expensive. Acquiring them can be difficult. Actually purchasing a needle can be kind of challenging and that’s the whole point as to why they get re-used. So, what we needed was some money for a pilot project.
Daysha Eaton: “Where did the money come from for this project?”
Catriona Reynolds: “I was aware of the Awesome Foundation. My understanding is that they’re a national group that has local chapters and the local chapters all contribute their monthly amount and decide where to allocate it each month. I applied and got word this week that we will have $1,000, actually and I have the check in hand, to purchase supplies, so hopefully we will have a syringe exchange program functioning by June.”
Daysha Eaton: “Why is a needle exchange important in Homer?”
Catriona Reynolds: “We are creating it to reduce harm and risk. It is true that usually if a syringe exchange program is done well, which is not difficult to do, it not only provides clean needles, which reduces infections, but it connects people to other resources. We’re going to have on-site STD testing right there and so they don’t have to make a second visit somewhere else and also information to connect them to medical care, if that’s what they need, to food and housing and other possibilities.”
Daysha Eaton: “What are some of the misperceptions that your group is trying to clear up about needle exchanges and what are some of the things that you hope are going to come out of this?”
Catriona Reynolds: “One of the things that I learned, it’s not just sharing needles that’s a problem. It’s re-using your own needle too. The metal becomes more porous and bacteria can grow in that and so that’s where a lot of the site wounds came from. And that was new information for me and I’m working in the STD field. So it’s not even if someone is sharing needles with someone else, it’s if someone has their own needle but they’re using it ten times because they don’t have access to clean, fresh needles. And then the other piece – I know we’re going into cleanup week – one of the other advantages of a community syringe exchange program is that a lot of the needles that might be discarded elsewhere are often gathered to bring in because it is actually an exchange.
Daysha Eaton: “So the needles that have been turning up at parks and beaches, there could be less of those?”
Catriona Reynolds: “That’s one of the side benefits.”
Daysha Eaton: “How can people get involved with this project? You’re having a meeting soon, right?”
Catriona Reynolds: “It’s at 4 p.m. on Tuesday May 3, and it’s going to be on Pioneer Avenue in the South Peninsula Hospital Training and Education Facility, which is in the same building, but around the back, of where Home Health is.
Daysha Eaton: “Thanks for talking with me, Catriona.”
Catriona Reynolds: “Great.”
