Pubdate: Sat, 9 Aug 2008
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Insite (Insite)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Tony+Clement

CONSERVATIVES' ATTACKS ON INSITE NEED TO STOP

Health Minister Tony Clement's diatribes against Vancouver's safe 
injection site are becoming tiresome and embarrassing.

Earlier this week the minister launched yet another attack on the 
Insite clinic in downtown Vancouver at a World Health Organization 
gathering in Mexico City.

"Allowing and or encouraging people to inject heroin into their veins 
is not harm reduction," said Clement. "It is a form of harm addition."

Here are a few facts for the minister to consider:

. Between June of 2007 and June of 2008, 222 users overdosed at the 
East Hastings clinic and received immediate intervention. Some of 
those users might otherwise have died in a back alley.

. During the same period 3,862 addicts received first aid and medical 
care from Insite nursing staff and 2,269 were referred to social 
agencies. It's possible some of those addicts entered rehab and 
kicked their habit.

Moreover, the WHO strongly endorses harm reduction clinics such as 
Insite. According to the organization, it's a way of ensuring drug 
addicts use clean needles and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and 
other diseases.

The clinics don't supply drugs, merely offer safe conditions for 
injecting. Without the clinics, addicts would still inject.

Sure, tolerating drug use is not something a society enjoys doing. 
That's why it's called "harm reduction," in recognition that the 
practice would go on regardless.

What is it about safe injection sites that Clement cannot get his 
mind around? He understands and endorses the need for clean needles. 
The sites merely add a desk and chair, and health-care oversight to the mix.

What's more, Clement is proving himself a first-class hypocrite. The 
health minister doesn't want addicts shooting up; he wants them off 
drugs. But despite a year of pleas, to date the feds haven't 
responded to a request for $2 million in capital funding from 
Vancouver's Central City Foundation. The group is establishing a 
long-term residential drug treatment centre for young people.

B.C.'s government has pledged $2.4 million annually for The Crossing 
at Keremeos, to begin accepting residents in January. So far the feds 
have contributed zip.

It's time for Clement to put his money where his mouth is.

On the safe injection front, some 49 sites now operate in Australia, 
Europe and Canada. More are slated to open in Quebec, where the 
Harperites would dare interfere.

B.C.'s Supreme Court ruled recently that access to Insite constitutes 
a right -- to life, liberty and security of the person -- under the Charter.

In late June, Ottawa announced its intention to appeal the ruling, so 
the case probably will be adjudicated by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Conservatives have long wanted to padlock Insite and would be 
able to by refusing to extend Insite's exemption under Criminal Code 
drug laws. But the court ruling now stands in the way.

Ministerial jaw flapping about the evils of safe-injection sites at 
this stage are thereby pointless, and politically unproductive for 
Conservatives.

In the next election, the party will face a stiff contest in B.C., as 
it usually does, with the NDP and Liberals in strong contention.

British Columbians, particularly in urban areas -- traditionally a 
weak spot for Conservatives -- tend to support the five-year-old 
clinic. Indeed the province and a succession of Vancouver mayors are 
strongly behind the clinic. And Victoria's mayor has expressed 
interest in a safe-injection site.

Elsewhere in Canada, it's doubtful voters would cast a ballot based 
on a clinic for addicts in Vancouver.

In fact, opposing Insite does little for the Harperites beyond 
playing to their political base, likely to vote for them anyway.

To win a majority government, Conservatives need to drop the ideology 
and appeal to a broader cross-section of the electorate.

So, just as they've turned a blind eye to private medical clinics to 
appease right leaning supporters, they need to do the same for 
liberal-minded folks who agree with no less an authority than the 
World Health Organization on Insite.

The minister surely has better things to do than whine about Insite. 
There's an overcrowding crisis in Canada's emergency departments, a 
dearth of certain medical services in specific provinces and a dire 
shortage of family physicians coast to coast. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake