Pubdate: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2008 The Leader-Post Ltd. Contact: http://www.canada.com/regina/leaderpost/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Barbara Yaffe, Vancouver Sun Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Insite (Insite) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites) AN UNWELCOME INJECTION OF POLITICS VANCOUVER -- Imagine Vancouver's supervised injection site being situated not in the Downtown Eastside, but in Montreal's gritty east end. The Harper Conservatives, so careful not to interfere in Quebec affairs, would stay as far away from the issue as politically possible. They'd quietly OK an exemption from federal drug laws to enable the enterprise to operate legally while pointing out that health care and community services are provincial matters. In B.C., the story is playing out quite differently. Conservatives have long groused about Insite, only reluctantly acceding to its continued operations on a year-to-year basis. Last week, Health Minister Tony Clement finally spilled the beans on federal intentions to try to close down the operation: "I believe we can do better and we must. "Supervised injection is not medicine. It does not heal the person addicted to drugs." True enough. All the centre claims to do is prevent those who overdose from dropping dead. In the past year, 222 users have overdosed and received immediate intervention at Insite. Insite also claims to steer people toward counselling and drug rehab services. In the past year 3,862 addicts received first aid and medical care from Insite nursing staff and 2,269 were referred to helping agencies. The centre also has a limited capacity to provide emergency housing. While no sane person wants to countenance illegal drug use, Vancouverites seem prepared to tolerate a resource that attempts to mitigate harm done by those who'd otherwise shoot up in back alleys. And the community has discovered some benefit from Insite, as less drug paraphernalia is being found around the East Hastings neighbourhood and the load placed on overcrowded hospital emergency rooms has been alleviated. Financed with $2.3 million a year from the province, Insite has won grudging acceptance from some unlikely sources. Premier Gordon Campbell, former mayors Mike Harcourt, Philip Owen, Larry Campbell and current Mayor Sam Sullivan support the centre. So do the provincial nurses' union, Vancouver Police and B.C.'s Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Vigorous lobbying by former mayor Owen led to Insite's establishment in 2003. For the past five years, the Vancouver community has lived with Insite and weighed its merits and demerits. In other words, Vancouver has had its debate over Insite. The debate is over. A community consensus has been reached -- no one likes having to provide a supervised injection site, but Vancouverites are prepared to recognize it's doing good work. B.C.'s Supreme Court last week endorsed this view, ruling that closing down Insite would be inconsistent with the Charter of Rights. Essentially, the ruling held that addicts should not be denied a form of health-care treatment. In his decision, Justice Ian Pitfield echoed the community consensus about Insite: "While there is nothing to be said in favour of the injection of controlled substances that leads to addiction, there is much to be said against denying addicts health-care services that will ameliorate the effects of their condition." Clement promptly announced the court decision would be appealed. With all the other political tempests plaguing the Harper government at the moment, it's difficult to see how such an appeal will help the Conservative cause. Indeed, the court decision could have gotten Harper & Co. off the hook. Now they're left looking like captives of right-wing ideology. That won't play well in the Vancouver area where Conservatives have been largely shut out. It will also tick off B.C. voters who suspect the issue would be handled rather differently if Insite were located in Quebec. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake