UN DRUG CZAR WANTS INSITE CLOSED

Is B.C.'S Safe-Injection Site Legal Or Not?

UNITED NATIONS (CNS) -- The head of the United Nations drug-control
agency wants Insite, Vancouver's safe-injection site, closed. The
International Narcotics Control Board is calling on Canada to ban
various community-backed programs that enable illicit drug use,
including Insite.

It also wants to stop "safer crack kits" being handed out.

"We want the government of Canada to be in compliance with [its]
treaty obligations, but there is an internal problem, and we would
urge the government of Canada to sort [it] out," agency head, Dr.
Philip Emafo, said

The UN body says Insite contravenes a 1961 treaty Canada signed that
says countries should pass laws ensuring drugs are used only for
medical or scientific purposes.

Last year, Insite was granted a special exemption from federal
drug-enforcement laws, to last until June 30.

Insite has appealed to the B.C. Supreme Court to rule it is a health
facility that is therefore constitutionally under provincial jurisdiction.

Insite has argued that the UN narcotics-control board itself called
for a legal opinion from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, which
found that harm-reduction programs do not violate treaties.

"It's clear from the legal brief that Insite is in compliance, and
all it's doing is providing an intake bridge to recovery for users,"
said Insite spokesman Nathan Allen.

The Vancouver Island Health Authority focused its "Safer Crack Kits"
program on Nanaimo last year, but suspended the pilot project after
community opposition.

However, the province's Centre for Disease Control is looking at
adding similar kits for distribution throughout B.C., along with
other "harm-reduction" supplies such as condoms and syringes.

Health Minister Tony Clement could not be reached for comment.