Title: Minutes of 11/11/2003 meeting Subject: mcch, substance abuse, minutes Publisher: Description: Contributors: Effective_date: 2004-01-06 10:00:37 Expiration_date: None Type: Document Format: text/plain Language: Rights: SafetyBelt: 1068763969.55 Substance Abuse Committee 2003.11.12 Attendees: Susan Lease, Alan Angel, Noreen Hendrickson, Dee Reed, Nathan Wallace, Phil Teakill, George Arguello Staff: Philomena Luiz, Jay Nemrow, Alida Brown Guests: Bea Levy, Phillip Fiuty Welcome and Introductions Needle Exchange Program (1 hour) New Mexico has a three year gap from the "coasts." HIV follows HepC and New Mexico has a high HepC rate. Our future is to have more women and babies with HIV. PHD mandated to conduct harm reduction programs proactively, of which the Needle Exchange Program is just one. Roswell has done it for 5 1/2 years, has 600 enrolled. New Mexico rates #1 in drug related deaths (about 14.1%), the next state is Oregon at about 4%. Importance of education and immunization. Troubles getting things started in Clovis. Police were against it. Other areas worked because they enroll users no matter why they come into the PH office. It is a matter of time to create the trust needed. Process: They come in and fill out questionaire, they get a card that is good for a year of the program. Talk about safer "using" practices, idealy. At enrollment, giving them needles (up to 30), tourniquets, alcohol swabs. After enrollment, 1 to 1. Show yellow cards and needles to officers (to prevent sticks). HIV is now a injection drug user problem more than a "gay man" problem now. Most women and children with HIV can be traced back to injection drug use. 22 needle exchange programs, 11 run out of PHOs. 3 million needles exchanged in 6 years. There has been some education to law enforcement about the law and ways to protect themselves from sticks. There has been some education in our area on this. At the Bar Association and with local law enforcement. One consistant request from law enforcement is that if users get needles, they must be in a puncture resistant container. Noreen discribes a situation where a user concealed a needle, was caught and then revealed a card. Bea says this may be a matter of trust. Some of the regulations are vague and it is unclear for courts and law enforcement. Purpose of these programs is to keep needles out of parks and fields, where children can find them and use them and to get needles into safe storage and disposal. Referral to Treatment and other programs often comes up as part of these programs, as trust grows. Secondary users (users who bring in needles for other users) must be registered users as well. A non-using spouse can get into trouble bringing needles. The needle container is accessable at all times and to anyone and is secure and safe. They work really well in Albuquerque. Roswell fills up an 18 gallon container a week. Transmission of HIV through needle exchange in New Mexico is remaining very low (less than 1%). A needle program is cheaper than hospital visits and treatments for AIDS and HepC sufferers. The cost to society of dealing with these diseases far outweighs the cost of needle exchange. Some discussion of methadone in our area, but the system really needs 200 people in treatment. There is methadone treatment in Las Vegas. Discussion of splitting off a research group to continue CSC work and further PDSA Cycles Tabled. Review of Definitions of Health to recommend to MCCH Council Tabled. Philomena Time! We need two people to man booth and shmooze at the upcoming Share Fair. The 10th meeting needs to be cancelled in favor of the Share Fair. Homework Reports: Presentation: Ben Gates and George are working on San Jon. Some movement on Tucumcari, none on House and Logan. Measurement will be resistence to training. Probably little movement until after first of the year. Jay brought Tri-cultural survey. Bring distillation next time. Alida brought Benson survey. Bring distillation next time. Evalution and Adjournment Next meeting on 17th December.