Pubdate: Sun, 06 Aug 2006 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Province Contact: http://www.canada.com/theprovince/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: John Bermingham, The Province Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms) OTTAWA STILL STUDYING SAFE-INJECTION SITE Fate Up In Air: Health Canada Doing 'Research Assessment' Vancouver's safe-injection site for IV drug users is inching closer toward word on its fate. Health Canada is currently doing a research assessment of the effectiveness of the supervised facility. After three years' operation, Insite on East Hastings Street has yet to receive an extension of its special exemption that would allow it to remain open. The exemption runs out Sept. 12. Ottawa has promised an announcement before the expiry date. "The department hasn't committed to an extension of the current exemption," said Health Canada spokeswoman Carole Saindon, speaking from Ottawa. "There's this research assessment under way that is to be completed." The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS has been gathering research data on the site since it opened and is now answering follow-up questions from Health Canada. Conclusions will be presented to Health Minister Tony Clement. Meanwhile, the RCMP will also present Prime Minister Stephen Harper with a pair of reports on the facility. They were written by two local criminologists, Ray Corrado of Simon Fraser University and Irwin Cohen of University College of the Fraser Valley. According to media reports, the academics gave the site their approval. In Vancouver, Downtown Eastside groups are making a mix of lobbying efforts. Gillian Maxwell of the group Insite for Community Safety calls her approach "soft-shoe lobbying." The group, set up by the Portland Hotel Society, planted 336 crosses in Vanier Park last month to symbolize the number of overdoses at Insite that did not result in deaths. More than 2,400 letters have also been sent to Ottawa through the group's website and hand-written letter campaign. "We're just trying to tell them about the widespread support for the facility in the community. This thing really works," said Maxwell. Taking a more militant tack is the Anti-Poverty Committee, which will hold a rally outside Trade Minister David Emerson's constituency office on Aug. 16. Kim Kerr of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association said the best selling point for the facility is that it saves lives. "The whole basis of harm-reduction is to keep people alive," said Kerr. "It's demonstrated that it saves lives. "We need more safe-injection sites. [This one] can't keep up with the demand." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek