Street Outreach

Our "Rig dig" program picks up used syringes and paraphernalia from the downtown core.

AVI is able to collect syringes and paraphernalia beyond the facility on a limited basis through the work of volunteers. Last year, 5,432 syringes were picked up in the downtown core, compared with 4,361 the year before and 1,996 in 2003. The purpose of the collection program is to significantly reduce the number of discarded syringes and related paraphernalia on the street through an organized collection program.

The Peer Outreach Syringe Collection Program is part of Street Outreach Services (SOS). SOS provides harm reduction services, including a volunteer off-site syringe collection program as part of the needle exchange program. The needle exchange was started in 1989, Canada’s first needle exchange, and the off-site syringe pick-up has been in place for more than seven years.

During the past ten years, the number of people injecting drugs, and the number of syringes being used, in Greater Victoria has increased dramatically. Over the past five years, the number of active clients has increased 36% and the number of needles has increased 148%. Over the last year the number of needles has increased 24% from 814,023 dispensed in 2004 to 1,011,659 in 2005 with a rate of return of 100%.