Pubdate: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 Source: National Post (Canada) Copyright: 2002 Southam Inc. Contact: http://www.nationalpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286 Author: Robert Sharpe Note: Headline by newshawk CLEMENT SHOULD CONSIDER A NEW LINE OF WORK Re: MPs Push for Safe Heroin Injection Sites, Dec. 10. Tony Clement claims Ontario will not open safe drug-injection sites as long as he is Ontario's Health Minister. Perhaps he should consider a new line of work. Safe-injection sites have been proven to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use. They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially hard-to-reach population. Drug users are not the only beneficiaries. Look no further than the United States for tragic examples of anti-drug strategies that are best avoided. U.S. Centers for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57% of AIDS cases among women and 36% of overall AIDS cases in the United States are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct result of zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes. Can Canada afford to emulate drug policies of the former land of the free, which is the current record holder in citizens incarcerated? Robert Sharpe, program officer, Drug Policy Alliance, Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom