TORIES WANT MORE INPUT BEFORE DECIDING SAFE INJECTION SITE'S FUTURE

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government cut off federal funding for
Vancouver's controversial supervised injection site for drug addicts
because it wants a "diversity" of opinions before deciding on the
facility's future, Health Minister Tony Clement said Tuesday.

Clement was responding to a report in the latest edition of the Canadian
Medical Association Journal which summarized various research, indicating
mostly positive outcomes, since the pilot project was initiated three years
ago.

The article said studies have shown a large reduction in public drug use,
fewer incidents of addicts sharing syringes and discarding them in public
places, and increased use of detoxification services in Vancouver. There
has been no increase in drug-dealing around the facility in the city's
Downtown Eastside.

"We welcome any scientific papers on the topic," Clement said at a news
conference when asked about the CMAJ article. "We will also be ensuring
that other scientific papers are part of the mix as well. And then we'll be
able to weigh the evidence in having all the evidence on the table."