HEALTH AUTHORITY DISMISSES REPORT RIPPING INSITE FACILITY

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority is dismissing a report that
paints a dim picture of the InSite safe-injection facility.

The report, available online at www.globaldrugpolicy.org, is
published in the Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice.

The critique by Dr. Colin Mangham, research director with the Drug
Prevention Network of Canada, notes what he says is evidence of bias
in previous evaluations of InSite.

He also said there is underreporting of negative findings and that
the safe-injection site fails to attract younger drug users,
therefore failing to promote drug-use prevention in the long term.

Network president Randy White said the report shows resources are
being misdirected when it comes to addressing drug abuse.

"All the attention and money that has gone into this program by city
and provincial governments, with assistance from the federal
government, could have and should have been put into prevention," White said.

But the health authority disagrees with the conclusions.