Pubdate: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 Source: North Shore News (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 North Shore News Contact: http://www.nsnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/311 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/InSite Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction) HEALTH NUT Health Minister Tony Clement demonstrated this week that he has an alarmingly poor understanding of the principles on which the medical profession is built. In an address to the Canadian Medical Association Monday, Clement said health professionals who support Vancouver's safe injection site are immoral. By allowing addicts to take drugs in a clinical environment, nurses and other staff are neglecting their duty to do no harm to their charges. Presumably, Clement would rather see addicts perish in a place outside of medical supervision. The idea that Insite does more harm than good has been so thoroughly undermined by clinical data as to be laughable. Over a single two-year period, nurses at the facility intervened in more than 500 overdoses. They have supplied more than 600 clean needles daily and -- according to a litany of peer-reviewed studies - -- helped contain disease, increase rehab enrollment, cut down needle sharing and reduce public injections. After 80 years of failed drug policy, the Conservatives cannot believe the traditional approach they advocate offers any of these outcomes. One can only conclude that Clement and his colleagues have no interest in helping addicts, but rather wish to continue down the wrong road as a matter of principle. Now they would like doctors to join them. One can only hope our health professionals decline the invitation. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom