About Us
The Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program provides harm reduction materials, as well as knowledge and support, to Ontario’s needle exchange and harm reduction programs.
The OHRDP is located in Kingston and is managed through the Street Health Centre, a part of Kingston Community Health Centres. The OHRDP is funded by the Hepatitis C Secretariat, Ministry of Health and Long-term Care.
There are currently 34 active needle exchange programs (NEPs) in Ontario, each affiliated with local Public Health. Needle exchange programs remain “mandatory programs” (Mandatory Health Programs and Service Guidelines, 1997). In 2004 Ontario’s NEPs distributed over 3.2 million clean syringes. Yet while needle exchange programs continue to grow and face new challenges, there remains much variation between programs.
Enter the 2006 document, Ontario Needle Exchange Programs: Best Practice Recommendations, a collaborative effort between leading researchers in the field and the Ontario Needle Exchange Coordinating Committee. This document provides a clear basis in evidence to guide NEP program planning and development.
The OHRDP provides, free of charge to participating programs, harm reduction materials to be distributed alongside the traditional needles and syringes of NEPs. Products available, intended to reduce the transmission of infectious disease, include:
- Sterile water
- Alcohol swabs
- Tourniquets
- Filters
- Vitamin C (acidifier)
- Cookers
In addition to the distribution of harm reduction materials, the OHRDP provides education, learning opportunities, knowledge transfer, intelligence support, and the dissemination of important literature, to the NEPs of Ontario. NEPs can access OHRDP on matters of policy and program development, including in-service education.
The OHRDP is tasked with hosting an annual harm reduction conference for Ontario. The 2009 Conference will be held in Toronto on February 22-24, 2009. Check our Annual Conference page for more details.
