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Syringe dispensing machine debate Syringe machine idea turned down
(about 1 hour later)
Police plans to install a needle vending machine by one of its stations are being debated by councillors. Plans to install a needle vending machine by a police station have been rejected by councillors.
North Wales Police wants to install the £10,000 machine outside its Colwyn Bay station, Conwy, so it can be used by registered drug addicts. North Wales Police had wanted to place the £10,000 machine in Colwyn Bay so it could have been used by registered drug addicts issued with tokens.
Drug users would get special tokens to collect clean needles. But several Conwy councillors said the siting was inappropriate in a sensitive town centre area, and any such machine would have needed to be supervised.
But a drug treatment charity in the town is calling for the idea to be scrapped, saying any such scheme should be properly supervised. They did, however, vote in support of the principle of a needle exchange.
The charity has put an advert in a local newspaper to condemn the proposed scheme. Before the meeting a drug treatment charity in the town called for the idea to be scrapped, and also argued that any such scheme should be supervised.
North Wales Police chief constable Richard Brunstrom has said the scheme would help drug addicts by ensuring drug users do not need to share dirty needles.
A needle vending machine is not the answer because it removes the human contact that the addict needs Danie Strydom, Touchstones12A needle vending machine is not the answer because it removes the human contact that the addict needs Danie Strydom, Touchstones12
Touchstones12 had also put an advert in a local newspaper to condemn the scheme.
North Wales Police chief constable Richard Brunstrom had said the scheme would help drug addicts by ensuring drug users did not need to share dirty needles.
The Conwy meeting was a joint one involving members of two community committees.
Later this year a planning application for the machine will have to be determined by the council, which owns the police station, a listed building.
Councillors were told that a leading chemist in Colwyn Bay had agreed to become involved in the needle exchange.
Pharmacies and hospitals in many areas of north Wales already hand out clean needles, but the service does not exist in the Colwyn Bay area.Pharmacies and hospitals in many areas of north Wales already hand out clean needles, but the service does not exist in the Colwyn Bay area.
Addicts would use tokens provided by rehabilitation agencies in the area. if the syring machine idea had gone ahead, addicts would have used tokens provided by rehabilitation agencies in the area.
The vending machine needs planning approval by Conwy County Council and would become the first of its kind in Britain. The vending machine needed planning approval by Conwy County Council and would have become the first of its kind in Britain.
A North Wales Police sergeant was due to explain to the local authority's scrutiny committee how the system would work.
'CCTV camera''CCTV camera'
The committee was also hearing a report from the National Public Health Service for Wales on the effectiveness of needle and syringe exchange. The National Public Health Service for Wales said the lack of a needle exchange was a "barrier" to controlling rates of infection of HIV among drug users.
The service said the lack of needle exchange facilities was a "barrier" to controlling rates of infection of HIV among drug users.
The machine would be sited outside the town's police stationThe machine would be sited outside the town's police station
It read: "Pharmacies and vending machines increase the availability and probably the utilisation of sterile injecting equipment by injecting drug users." In a report, it said: "Pharmacies and vending machines increase the availability and probably the utilisation of sterile injecting equipment by injecting drug users."
But Danie Strydom, director of Touchstones12, a charity which helps recovering addicts and promotes an abstinence policy, said the scheme did not provide the face-to-face contact needed when dealing with addicts. But Danie Strydom, director of Touchstones12, a charity which helps recovering addicts and promotes an abstinence policy, said before the meeting that the scheme would not provide the face-to-face contact needed when dealing with addicts.
He said: "There would be a bin placed under a CCTV camera which would require the addict themselves to place there old needles in the bin. It's never going to happen."He said: "There would be a bin placed under a CCTV camera which would require the addict themselves to place there old needles in the bin. It's never going to happen."
"A needle vending machine is not the answer because it removes the human contact that the addict needs.""A needle vending machine is not the answer because it removes the human contact that the addict needs."
But Cais, another organisation which helps people with drugs and alcohol problems, is in favour of the scheme. But Cais, another organisation which helps people with drugs and alcohol problems, was in favour of the scheme.
'Pandering''Pandering'
Business director Chris Dukes said: "Anything that is put into the community that alleviates this harm has to be a good thing.Business director Chris Dukes said: "Anything that is put into the community that alleviates this harm has to be a good thing.
"We would all very much welcome the human face in being able to exchange needles but that's not the situation in Colwyn Bay." "We would all very much welcome the human face in being able to exchange needles, but that's not the situation in Colwyn Bay."
Councillor Darren Millar, chair of of the local authority's scrutiny committee, said before the meeting, "We mustn't be seen to be pandering to drug users or giving the impression that it is safe to legitimise the use of drugs. Councillor Darren Millar, chair of the local authority's scrutiny committee, said before the meeting: "We mustn't be seen to be pandering to drug users or giving the impression that it is safe to legitimise the use of drugs.
"I think it's important to get beyond that point of debate into why is there a problem with drugs in the local town and how can we best address it.""I think it's important to get beyond that point of debate into why is there a problem with drugs in the local town and how can we best address it."