Pubdate: Sat, 16 Jul 2016 Source: Toronto Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2016 The Toronto Star Contact: http://www.thestar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n481/a01.html Author: Myra Fahim Page: A10 INJECTION SITE VOTE A SMALL VICTORY Re Council supports three safe injection sites, July 14 Toronto city council's overwhelming vote to move forward with three supervised injection sites across the city is a small victory, a modern-day step in a necessary direction toward safe and evidence-based harm reduction strategies. The next essential step is to receive federal support to offer services at these sites with trained medical staff. While the city has seemed to come together in support of this issue, it is only one small step. Toronto continues to see an increase in deaths related to drug overdoses and without federal support of exemptions at these sites, citizens will continue to feel that this is an area not worth advocating for, despite the overwhelming evidence proving the effectiveness of supervised injection sites in reducing death, disease and costs to our healthcare system, all clear facts that cannot be denied. That leaves us with those who oppose based on moral grounds. These individuals who fear the presence of the injection sites in their neighbourhoods will compromise their safety do so out of a lack of understanding of the broader social issues the city faces. They fail to recognize the vulnerability of those using substances, fighting the strong grip of addiction. By bringing those who use intravenous drugs into a safe and clean environment to receive their substances, we are giving them an alternative to hiding the behaviours in dangerous and unsanitary conditions in which diseases and other conditions can be easily spread. Supervised injection sites do not just provide those who use substances with a secure haven to inject safely, they also provide health-care practitioners with an opportunity to intervene, should the individual be interested in engaging in treatment. By attempting to better support those who are vulnerable in our society, starting at least with injection sites, we can start to advocate alongside these individuals, leading them on a path to healthy and successful lives. An opportunity that many of our vulnerable and marginalized populations do not often receive. Myra Fahim, Mississauga - --- MAP posted-by: Matt