Speech by Bill Logan - new needle exchange

Opening of the new Needle Exchange
Masterton

22 June 2015

Bil Logan
Chair of the Drugs Health and Devopment Project Trust Board

Thank you Mr Dunne.

Thank you Pastor Rick, we value your association with the Needle Exchange and your support.

Thank you Kate for your speech—I think we were hoping for something just like that.

Thank you Carl and your Team: Brendon & Julie particularly, and the ever-amazing Rachel.

Welcome also to:-
Lyn Patterson, the Mayor of Masterton
Alastair Scott, the Member of Parliament for Wairarapa
Lee, representing the Aids Foundation
Catherine and Calum from the Prostitutes Collective
Marty from the Hepatitus Fountation
Dave from the Probation Service
and Anne from the Ministry of Health

Mr Dunne, I want to say that today you have contributed to health outcomes in a way you might not have considered. And I want to thank you for that.

People who inject drugs listen to this organisation because they know they are the moral owners of this organsiation. That is crucial. People who inject drugs listen to us because they know they are our owners.

They know that our board is deeply thoroughly, completely committed to them, to their interests and to their needs above all others. They listen to the Drugs Project about using a clean needle every time because they know we are fighting for their interests. They know we must be right. Clean needles save lives.

One part of fighting for the interests of people who inject drugs is fighting against overdose deaths. We all know people who have died of overdoeses. I’m a celebrant. I’ve done too many funerals. Unnecessary funerals.

People who who inject drugs know that their peers on our board like Kate are there to keep us honest. And they know that all members of the Board are thoroughly on their side.

There is right now a clammering of demand among people who inject drugs for Naloxone. It is a great thing, because it is a movment of people to do something in their own interests. There’s no doubt Naloxone saves lives. There’s no doubt its cost-effective.

Kate is an important part of that clammering. We support Kate’s campaign for Naloxone – take home Naloxone distributed by needle exchanges. It will save lives directly. It will also draw people into our needle exchanges to discuss other drug safety measures.

Kate represents something important. She shows the hub and spoke model of the Needle Exchange Programme in New Zealand in action. We need regional boards close to the grass roots. We need a sense of connection between the users and the needle exchanges. Kate, and the other Kates on our Board, and on the other regional boards around the country make that connection, and make that connection tangible.

Your being here, Mr Dunne, and listening to Kate today, is important. The news will get around. The news will get around among needle users in the Wairarapa that one of theirs told the Minister about the importance of Naloxone, and in the nicest possible way gave the minister a piece of her mind.

That will raise the profile of this exchange where it matters. That will lead to more conversations in here – in this Needle Exchange – about harm reduction practices. So in a very direct way you have contributed to harm reduction education in the Wairarapa.

Thank you.

ENDS

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