POLL BACKS INJECTION SITE

VANCOUVER - Close to two-thirds of British Columbians don't want the
Conservative government to shut down Vancouver's supervised injection
site for drug addicts, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The Mustel Group poll of 852 B.C. adults found that 63 per cent of
respondents want Ottawa to extend Insite's permit when it expires at
the end of this year.

Only 27 per cent oppose an extension, while 10 per cent are undecided.

Support was highest in Vancouver, with three-quarters of residents
(76 per cent) in favour of an extension.

Even supporters of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government mostly
support the site, which provides clean needles and a safe place for
addicts to inject drugs, although the margin was much narrower.

Exactly half of Tory supporters who responded to the survey want the
license extended, while 41 per cent want the centre in Vancouver's
Downtown Eastside closed.

The poll is considered accurate to within 3.4 percentage points, 19
times in 20. It was conducted May 31 to June 11.