Editor: Recently The Times published an article that raised awareness of public concerns raised about discarded sharps (91原创 City grapples with problem of discarded needles, Oct. 2).
Sadly, this article distorts both the issues and the stance taken by council.
If one looks at the proposed motion this was not a call for needle exchanges but direction to staff to share with both council and the public what they are doing and what others are perhaps doing better.
The suggestion of needle depositories (at street level) was not 鈥渨elcomed by council鈥� as suggested by the writer, as the majority chose to buy the line that staff and council need not learn more.
Sadly ensuing comments, available to all on the City鈥檚 website, suggest that there is a misunderstanding of the role of council to direct action and to lead a social imperative to ensure public safety and 鈥渉arm reduce鈥� for the most vulnerable.
Dave Hall,
91原创 City Councillor
Editor鈥檚 note: the story in question states that, 鈥淗all made a motion to have staff investigate the pros, cons and best practice harm reduction strategies of needle depositories and exchanges.鈥�
