Pubdate: Wed, 27 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: Christina Batstone

SOLVING DRUG ADDICTION IS NOT A CASE OF EITHER/OR

People are asking where the results from Insite are and how we can
justify spending millions on a facility that doesn't "cure" drug addiction.

Harm reduction is exactly what it says it is: It saves people's lives.
Harm reduction is not an answer to drug addiction, but people would be
dead if it weren't for Insite. Isn't that worth something?

On funding, all I can say is it doesn't have to be either/or. We can
have Insite and properly funded recovery programs. In fact, having
places for people to go would make Insite much more effective.

The government has had decades to fund recovery programs properly and
hasn't done so. Insite was opened as a reaction to a serious problem
the government wasn't addressing. Shutting Insite down won't result in
more or better recovery programs.

Christina Batstone

Vancouver
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