Vancouverites should be ‘really proud of your humanity,’ says U.S.-based needle exchange director

VANCOUVER-Vancouver is leading the way in harm reduction and the prevention of overdoses but faces similar gentrification and stigma challenges to most other cities, according to the director of a landmark needle-exchange program in the U.S.

Dr. Hansel Tookes, founder and medical director of the IDEA Exchange in Miami, was in Vancouver to deliver the President’s Dream Colloquium on HIV/AIDS at Simon Fraser University.

Tookes told the Star that Vancouver has led the way on programs and policies that help de-stigmatize drug use and provide wraparound services that meet people where they’re at.

“Everything you all are doing here is on a level that is unparalleled,” he said. “You all should be really proud of your humanity here.”

Led by Tookes, the IDEA Exchange is the only needle exchange in the state of Florida. It also provides harm-reduction services, with the aim of reducing the spread of HIV and other diseases. A mobile health unit goes into areas to deliver supplies, based on where data indicated there could be higher rates of a disease.

He told the Star that the program was able to stem a possible outbreak of HIV when they specifically went into communities that indicated higher risk.

Scroll to Top

During the Canada Post strike announced September 25, 2025, the following measures will be undertaken to minimize service disruption to BC-CfE clients and providers.

  • The BC-CfE Laboratory has transitioned to private courier for delivery of outgoing reports and documents. Results required urgently can be faxed upon request. (Lab Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8775; FAX 604-806-9463)
  • The BC-CfE Drug Treatment Program (DTP) will fax outgoing forms and documents to the provider’s office. (DTP Contact Information: Phone 604-806-8515; FAX 604-806-9044)
  • St. Paul’s Hospital Ambulatory Pharmacy has transitioned to private courier for delivery of medications. We recommend requesting medication at least 2 weeks in advance in case of delivery delays, particularly to rural/remote parts of BC. (Contact Information: Phone 1-800-547-3622; FAX 604-806-8675)

During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that documents be faxed or couriered to our sites, versus utilization of regular mail service

The BC-CfE Laboratory is streamlining reporting processes for certain tests in order to simplify distribution and record-keeping, and to ensure completeness of results. Beginning September 2, 2025, results for the ‘Resistance Analysis of HIV-1 Protease and Reverse Transcriptase’ (Protease-RT) and ‘HIV-1 Integrase Resistance Genotype’ tests will be combined into a single ‘HIV-1 Resistance Genotype Report’.
For more details and example reports, please click on the button below

Laboratory Order Forms

Start typing and press enter to search