Pubdate: Thu, 15 Feb 2007
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Canoe Inc
Contact:  http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Matt Kieltyka, 24 Hours

DRUG GROUP ADVOCATING NEW SITE

The need for a safe drug consumption site for inhaled  drugs has 
never been stronger, according to a drug user  advocacy group.

Ann Livingston, of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug  Users (VANDU), 
says as conditions in the Downtown  Eastside deteriorate, drug 
smokers are left exposed to  sickness, disease and abuse.

"In the DTES, it's pretty obvious there is a lot of  public drug use 
going on and a need for a consumption  room," said Livingston.

"We have the safe-injection site that's giving people  a safe place 
to go, but a majority of drug users inhale  their drugs."

VANDU is willing to open renegade inhalation rooms so  people have a 
supervised area to take their drugs, but  despite a lot of support, 
no funding has come their  way.

It wouldn't be the first time the group took  harm-reduction into its 
own hands.

In the 1990s, VANDU opened up a number of  safe-injection sites and 
the moved sparked a chain of  events that led to the opening of the 
government-funded  Insite.

Livingston believes that doing the same with inhaled  drugs could 
have the same result.
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MAP posted-by: Elaine