Pubdate: Thu, 12 Apr 2012
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2012 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/letters.html
Website: http://www.montrealgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Note: Don Butler and Tom Blackwell contributed to this report

GROUPS MUST APPLY FOR SAFE-INJECTION SITES

Minister Waiting To See Applications

Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc is waiting for plans from community
groups before deciding whether to go ahead with supervised injection
sites (SIS) in areas where intravenous drug use is rampant, his press
attache said Wednesday.

"The minister has said he supports these sites in conformity with the
Supreme Court judgment," said Natacha Joncas Boudreau.

She was alluding to the decision by Canada's highest court last
September that found that an attempt by the federal government to shut
down Vancouver's Insite clinic - North America's only nurse-supervised
injection site - violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

On Wednesday, researchers at the University of Toronto recommended the
creation of two supervised injection facilities in Ottawa and three in
Toronto.

They concluded that such "facilities are likely to represent good
investments in health-care dollars" because they would improve the
health of drug users and reduce the risk that they might contract HIV
and hepatitis by using dirty needles.

In December, Montreal's public health department released a report
strongly in favour of establishing three supervised-injection sites
and a mobile one this year.

The report recommended that fixed sites be set up in
Hochelaga-maisonneuve, downtown and in an area near St. Urbain and
Prince Arthur Sts.

The mobile unit would move around St. Henri and the city's southwest
sector.

"The minister has met with community groups and public health," Joncas
Boudreau said.

"It's the community groups that must submit their projects to the
minister, who will decide whether they are in conformity with the
Supreme Court ruling," she said.

Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay has repeatedly stated that any downtown
site should be located in an existing medical facility, but residents
have complained that it would add to the number of people seeking help
for addiction.

In a city meeting in February, representatives of Cactus, a free
needle-exchange service, argued that an SIS be set up at Cactus's
current address on Sanguinet St.

Louis Letellier de St. Just, president of Cactus, said his centre has
plans for six cubicles to provide as many as 100 nurse-supervised
injections a day.

It's not clear whether Cactus has submitted its plans yet to the
Health Department.

De St. Just was unavailable for comment.

Don Butler and Tom Blackwell contributed to this report
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