Pubdate: Fri, 14 Feb 2014 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2014 The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Wendy Stueck DR. PETER CENTRE APPLIES FOR INJECTION SITE PERMIT The Dr. Peter Centre in Vancouver has applied for an exemption to federal drug laws that would allow it to offer supervised injection services to its clients - something it has been doing since 2002 without the paperwork. If the centre is granted an exemption under Canada's controlled Drugs and Substances Act, it would become the second such legally sanctioned facility in Vancouver, following the Insite clinic in the city's Downtown Eastside. The Dr. Peter Centre, which provides care to people living with HIV, including many who are poor and homeless, started the service after the College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia concluded 12 years ago it was within the scope of nursing practice to supervise injections for the purposes of preventing illness and improving health. But a groundbreaking 2011 Supreme Court of Canada decision related to Insite cleared the way for the Dr. Peter Centre to formalize the practice - with full backing from provincial and city governments. "The Dr. Peter Centre provides a variety of effective care and treatment services for those living with HIV/AIDS, including access to supervised injections," B.C. Minister of Health Terry Lake said Thursday in a statement. "Our government is committed to providing the best evidence-based support and care for British Columbians with substance-use problems and addictions and we support Vancouver Coastal Health and the Dr. Peter Centre in their application." Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson also endorsed the application, saying in a statement that supervised injection services at the Dr. Peter Centre and Insite "have become an indispensable public health resource in our community." The application was submitted by the Dr. Peter Aids Foundation and Vancouver Coastal Health, the regional health authority that funds and oversees the centre. The exemption would be similar to one obtained by Insite, whose supporters went to court to maintain an exemption that was first granted in 2003 for a three-year term. Throughout that court battle, which lasted years and wound up in the Supreme Court of Canada, the federal government fought against maintaining the exemption for Insite on grounds that included federal control over health care. In 2011, however, the Supreme Court of Canada ordered the federal government to grant the exemption and allow Insite to keep operating, saying that to do otherwise would infringe on clients' rights under the Charter of Rights. The Supreme Court found that Insite provided health benefits with no discernible harm to the community. The decision was widely seen as opening the door to other legally sanctioned, supervised injection sites in Canada. Four supervised injection sites, including a mobile clinic, are expected to open this year in Montreal. Harm-reduction programs remain controversial. Earlier this month, Steven Blaney, Canada's Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, criticized a program that provides crack pipes through vending machines in the Downtown Eastside. The machines - which complement free crack pipes distributed by Vancouver Coastal Health - are an attempt to steer users away from makeshift pipes, which can splinter and increase the risk of diseases such as HIV. In a statement, Mr. Blaney said the federal government supports "treatment that ends drug use, including limiting access to drug paraphernalia by young people." The centre did not say when it expects a decision on its application. Health Canada is reviewing the application and will "take the time needed for a thorough review," a spokesman said Thursday in an e-mail. Ottawa has also introduced new legislation "that would give local law enforcement, municipal leaders and local residents a voice before a permit is granted for a supervised drug consumption site," the spokesman said. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D