AN UNWELCOME INJECTION OF POLITICS

VANCOUVER -- Imagine Vancouver's supervised injection site being
situated not in the Downtown Eastside, but in Montreal's gritty east
end.

The Harper Conservatives, so careful not to interfere in Quebec
affairs, would stay as far away from the issue as politically possible.

They'd quietly OK an exemption from federal drug laws to enable the
enterprise to operate legally while pointing out that health care and
community services are provincial matters.

In B.C., the story is playing out quite differently. Conservatives
have long groused about Insite, only reluctantly acceding to its
continued operations on a year-to-year basis.

Last week, Health Minister Tony Clement finally spilled the beans on
federal intentions to try to close down the operation: "I believe we
can do better and we must.

"Supervised injection is not medicine. It does not heal the person
addicted to drugs." True enough. All the centre claims to do is
prevent those who overdose from dropping dead. In the past year, 222
users have overdosed and received immediate intervention at Insite.

Insite also claims to steer people toward counselling and drug rehab
services. In the past year 3,862 addicts received first aid and
medical care from Insite nursing staff and 2,269 were referred to
helping agencies.

The centre also has a limited capacity to provide emergency
housing.

While no sane person wants to countenance illegal drug use,
Vancouverites seem prepared to tolerate a resource that attempts to
mitigate harm done by those who'd otherwise shoot up in back alleys.

And the community has discovered some benefit from Insite, as less
drug paraphernalia is being found around the East Hastings
neighbourhood and the load placed on overcrowded hospital emergency
rooms has been alleviated.

Financed with $2.3 million a year from the province, Insite has won
grudging acceptance from some unlikely sources.

Premier Gordon Campbell, former mayors Mike Harcourt, Philip Owen,
Larry Campbell and current Mayor Sam Sullivan support the centre.

So do the provincial nurses' union, Vancouver Police and B.C.'s Centre
for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

Vigorous lobbying by former mayor Owen led to Insite's establishment
in 2003. For the past five years, the Vancouver community has lived
with Insite and weighed its merits and demerits.

In other words, Vancouver has had its debate over Insite. The debate
is over. A community consensus has been reached -- no one likes having
to provide a supervised injection site, but Vancouverites are prepared
to recognize it's doing good work.

B.C.'s Supreme Court last week endorsed this view, ruling that closing
down Insite would be inconsistent with the Charter of Rights.

Essentially, the ruling held that addicts should not be denied a form
of health-care treatment.

In his decision, Justice Ian Pitfield echoed the community consensus
about Insite:
"While there is nothing to be said in favour of the injection of
controlled substances
that leads to addiction, there is much to be said against denying
addicts health-care
services that will ameliorate the effects of their condition." Clement promptly
announced the court decision would be appealed.

With all the other political tempests plaguing the Harper government
at the moment, it's difficult to see how such an appeal will help the
Conservative cause. Indeed, the court decision could have gotten
Harper & Co. off the hook.

Now they're left looking like captives of right-wing
ideology.

That won't play well in the Vancouver area where Conservatives have
been largely shut out.

It will also tick off B.C. voters who suspect the issue would be
handled rather differently if Insite were located in Quebec.