Pubdate: Thu, 13 Jul 2006
Source: Victoria News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Victoria News
Contact:  http://www.vicnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1267
Author: Brennan Clarke
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)

SAFE-INJECTION-SITE PLAN THREATENED WITH SLOW DEATH

Victoria's aspirations for a safe-injection site will  suffer a
premature death if the federal government  pulls the plug on
Vancouver's safe injection facility,  Mayor Alan Lowe said Thursday.

Commenting on a proposal from city staff to install  used needle drop
boxes at various downtown locations,  Lowe noted that the federal
government has yet to  extend the licence for Vancouver's safe
injection site  and said a decision to terminate the pilot project
would stall momentum in Victoria toward a similar site.

"It would kill our safe injection site and I don't want  to see that
happen," Lowe said.

The Vancouver facility, InSite, is a pilot project made  possible by
an exemption under the Canada Health Act  allowing clients to use
illegal drugs on the premises,  including heroin and crack cocaine.

But with that exemption due to expire in September and  Prime Minister
Stephen Harper stating publicly that his  government opposes legalized
drug use, supporters of a  safe injection site for Victoria are not
optimistic.

"The safe consumption sites are part of an overall  strategy to save
lives and without that in our tool kit  it makes the work of saving
live in Victoria more  difficult," said AIDS Vancouver Island
spokesperson  Erik Ages.

In recent years, harm reduction advocates in Victoria  have worked
hard to foster a dialogue about  harm-reduction strategies, including
safe-consumption  sites, Ages added.

"It would be a great shame to take a step back from  that direction,"
he said.

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority spokesman Clay Adams  said last
week the federal government has given no  indication of its
intentions, but expressed hope that  scientific data showing that
InSite has been successful  will sway federal decision makers.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Island Health Authority is  proceeding with
research and budgetary groundwork for a  safe-injection site
regardless of what happens on the  Mainland.

"We are totally aware of the political environment, but  none of that
needs to affect the work that's being  done," said VIHA spokesperson
Suzanne Germain.

The Island's chief medical health officer, Richard  Stanwick, is
developing a business plan that will be  submitted to the VIHA board
of directors in the coming  months.

However, budgetary approval would not be contemplated  until fiscal
2007-08 at the earliest, she said.

Vancouver Coastal spent about $1.2 million renovating  the downtown
East Side building that currently houses  InSite.

The facility costs about $2 million a year to operate.
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MAP posted-by: Derek