Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2016
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Author: Doris Grinspun
Page: A14

NURSES ON BOARD WITH INJECTION SITES

Re City to open supervised injection sites, March 12

Record numbers of our colleagues, friends and loved ones are 
succumbing to drug abuse. And without effective harm-reduction 
strategies, we are condemning them to die alone in the dark.

But a light came on in Toronto when Dr. David McKeown, the city's 
medical officer of health, announced that supervised injection 
services (SIS) will be offered under nurses' supervision at three 
Toronto locations. Evidence shows that SIS reduce overdose deaths, 
limit the spread of infectious diseases and help build safer 
communities. Bold public health initiatives like this are needed if 
we are going to reduce the tragic number of overdose deaths in this 
city. But what about the rest of the country?

RNs were a driving force behind the Insite SIS in Vancouver, and we 
fought to keep the site open when then prime minister Stephen Harper 
tried to shut it down. If we are going to make SIS more available and 
save countless lives across Canada, we need political help. And now 
we have it. Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott has already called 
her visit to Insite "extremely moving."

Now we need our new federal government to move and make life-saving 
SIS a priority. Nurses are ready for it. The time is now.

Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO, the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom