CANADA NEEDS SAFE INJECTION SITES

Re: Canada Urged To Stem Illicit Drug Use, March 5.

One reason Canadians seeking solutions to drug addiction are enraged
over the latest report of the International Narcotics Control Board
(INCB) is the board's complete lack of understanding of the
international laws to control illicit narcotics.

In 2002, the UN formally confirmed that supervised injection sites do
not actually infringe upon international enforcement endeavours. A
legal brief ( Flexibility of treaty provisions as regards to harm
reduction approaches, 2002) states clearly it is "not the intent of a
[supervised injection site] to aid, abet or facilitate the possession
of drugs," and in fact for primary health facilities, like InSite, it
notes that "the intention of governments is to provide healthier
conditions for IV-drug abusers, thereby reducing their risk of
infection with grave transmittable diseases and reaching out to them
with counselling and other therapeutic options."

Moreover, in 2006, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on
HIV/AIDS supporting the distribution of "sterile injecting equipment"
and promotion of "harm-reduction efforts related to drug use."

Instead of attacking those working to save lives, why doesn't the
INCB act positively by providing real prevention strategies. We need
effective prevention, aimed at equipping the children of today with
the right information to make the right choices tomorrow, maybe then
they will never need the help of an InSite nurse.

Nathan Allen, co-ordinator, InSite for Community Safety, Vancouver.