Pubdate: Thu, 15 May 2008 Source: Penticton Herald (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers Contact: http://www.pentictonherald.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/664 Author: Scott Trudeau Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/insite (Insite) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites) PROTESTERS PRESSURE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP INJECTION SITE OPEN Protesters carried large placards and stacked wooden crosses on the steps leading to MP Stockwell Day's Penticton office Wednesday to pressure the federal government to keep North America's only safe injection site open. Penticton was the first stop on a cross-Canada protest aimed at generating support for support of Insite, Vancouver's safe injection site which protesters say is critical in saving drug addicts' lives. Last year, the federal government gave a six-month extension to continue to provide funding to allow the site to continue operating. That extension is due to expire at the end of June. Protest organizer Marc Townsend of the group Insite for Community Safety said the Conservative government views drug addiction as a criminal problem and wants to shut down the facility. Townsend said drug addicts using the facility to inject themselves under the supervision of medical staff are more likely to seek help for their addiction and to remain in a detoxification centre than those who are not using the facility. Insite has also helped to stabilize the spread of Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS infection rates, he said. Other group members, Joey Only and Leah Martin, said as Canada's public safety minister, Day sets agendas relating safety and what the policies are with respect to drugs and those with drug addictions. The several dozen wooden crosses at the protest represented the 868 addicts who might have overdosed had they not been using the safe injection site, said Martin. Terry Green, president of the Okanagan-Skaha Teachers' Union was also out in support of the protest. Green said it is a tragedy that the Conservative government sees drug addiction as a problem of a criminal nature and not a health and education issue. "It is our belief that people do not really make a choice regarding drug addiction and the inherent risk of then spreading diseases such as HIV or hepatitis," said Green. A representative for the B.C. Nurses' Union, Joyce Procure, said nurses have noted the program provides a valuable and effective service in terms of drugs and alcohol abuse. In the past two years there have been more than 4,000 referrals out of Insite, and 40 per cent of those referrals are for addiction counselling, she said. A response on behalf of Day said a review of research results about Insite is currently underway. No decision has been made on whether or not the government will continue to allow the facility to remain exempt from Canada's drug laws when the extension expires June 30. Meanwhile the federal government announced Wednesday that it is providing money for drug treatment in Vancouver's east side. The agreement will include Assertive Community Treatment teams, which will bring together doctors, nurses and therapists to serve clients with the most severe functional impairments. It will also provide 20 new treatment beds for the most marginalized and vulnerable women on the street. Insite opened in Vancouver's drug-riddled east side in 2003 to treat drug use as a medical problem, and to lessen the dangers drug addicts face by providing them clean facilities and trained staff. Protests are scheduled Thursday at Harper's constituency office in Calgary, Friday at MP Steven Fletcher's office in Winnipeg. Further protests will be held next week at MP Tony Clements' offices in Parry Sound, Huntsville, and Bracebridge, Ont. and at Ottawa's parliament buildings. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom