The federal prisons in Canada will be distributing paper straws to inmates to facilitate safe snorting of drugs, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) confirmed this week. The paper straws are expected to reduce harm by lowering the risks of cuts or tears inside the nose as well as reduce the risk of blood-borne infections spreading, whilst recognising that overdose and toxicity risk remain.
Though the prisons have a zero-tolerance policy for narcotics, CSC admitted that drugs make their way into the compounds where inmates are often found snorting them through unsafe means.
“(CSC) maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the introduction of illicit drugs in its institutions,” CSC spokesperson Laurence Cote was quoted as saying by CTVNews.ca. “We are aware that despite our best efforts, illicit drugs still enter facilities.”
Apart from the paper straws, prisoners will also be given access to drug testing strips for fentanyl, benzodiazepine and xylazine to avoid drug overdose.
CSC said its National Drugs and Substances Strategy recognizes substance use as a health issue, and therefore approved harm reduction supplies are not considered contraband.
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The news first came to light when an internal memo went viral on social media. CSC soon confirmed that the memo was real and had been developed to provide information to all employees regarding the expansion of harm reduction products
“CSC is introducing these supplies in response to increased inhalation, smoking, and snorting of substances among federal inmates. As methods of use evolve, harm reduction measures must also adapt to reduce overdose risks, prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, and align with current evidence-based best practices,” read the memo.
“This needs-based initiative supports CSC’s continuum of care for substance use, which aims to reduce health harms, prevent overdose, limit infectious disease transmission, and promote rehabilitation and recovery.”
As per a CSC report published last year, between 20 and 22 per cent of men entering Canadian prisons reported “a lifetime history of injection drug use,” as did 27 to 29 percent of women.
