Pubdate: Sat, 11 Apr 2015
Source: Guardian, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2015 The Guardian, Charlottetown Guardian Group Incorporated
Contact:  http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/174
Author: Sean Casey
Page: A12

INJECTION SITES REDUCE HARM

I will resist the temptation to return fire on Nancy Driscoll's 
letter on safe injection sites and follow Premier MacLauchlan's lead 
and call on my better nature. I will, however, address the 
inaccuracies in Ms. Driscoll's letter.

Liberals believe in evidencebased policy and programs that prevent 
crimes and reduce harm. Safe injection sites decrease the risk of 
death and disease for those living with addiction and mental illness. 
They form an integral part of a broader, evidence-based national drug 
policy that promotes public health and decreases crime and public 
nuisance. The Conservatives' answer to creating safer streets is 
mandatory minimum prison sentences. There is no evidence that this 
works - in fact, there is strong evidence to the contrary.

Ms. Driscoll claims that Justin Trudeau said he would line the 
streets with safe injection sites. That is simply untrue. Justin and 
the Liberal Party of Canada support measures that work. On the other 
hand, Conservatives seem to believe in implementing measures that 
have been proven not to work. Their goal is to create a culture of 
fear, which seems to be manifested in Ms. Driscoll's letter.

Justin Trudeau wants to make Canadian streets safer. To do that, we 
have to look at the evidence and see what programs and policies 
actually work. The Conservatives prefer to rely on ideology, and 
maybe that is why they just cut a program called Circles of Support 
and Accountability that is proven to reduce repeat sexual crimes by 
70-83 per cent. According to the government's own study, it also 
saved $4.60 for every dollar invested. How does cutting a program 
like that make sense?

In the case of safe injection sites, the Supreme Court of Canada 
already overruled the Conservatives' attempt to shut them down.

Sean Casey, Charlottetown MP
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom