Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2016
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Metro Canada
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Matt Kieltyka
Page: 7

INSITE GRANTED A FOUR-YEAR EXEMPTION

Insite has been granted Health Canada exemption to operate legally for
the next four years, Vancouver Coastal Health announced Thursday.

The multi-year exemption is a break from the regime established under
the Conservative government in Ottawa, which required Canada's first
supervised injection site to apply for federal exemptions annually
since 2011 after its bid to shut the facility down failed in the courts.

"We are encouraged by Health Canada's willingness to voluntarily move
to a multi-year exemption for Insite," said B.C. Health Minister Terry
Lake in a statement. "It reflects an understanding of the tremendous
value the facility has, and signals that Insite is an important part
of health services within the Vancouver community in the eyes of the
federal government."

The exemption allows Insite, which opened in 2003, to operate outside
the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Canada's only other
supervised injection site is also in Vancouver.

The Dr. Peter Centre was recently granted a two-year exemption as
well, allowing it to keep offering a supervised injection site for its
clients.

With the new Liberal government more receptive to harm reduction
initiatives like Insite, Vancouver Coastal Health said it intends to
apply for more exemptions "to incorporate supervised injection into
other existing health care services for those suffering from addiction."

Other cities have expressed interest in doing the same.

Insite serves 600 to 800 clients daily and has supervised more than
two million injections in total, according to Vancouver Coastal
Health. There has not been a single overdose death at the facility
since it opened.
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MAP posted-by: Matt