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.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom