SAFE-INJECTION SITE INVITES MINISTER FOR A VISIT

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement is being urged to visit North
America's only safe-injection site

following his decision to let it operate for another 16 months,
pending further study of the concept.

Mark Townsend, speaking for the PHS Community Services Society that
helps operate Vancouver's Insite, said a visit is especially pertinent
given Clement's visits to Denmark and Sweden last week to look at drug
policies there.

"He's gone to Denmark, he's gone to Stockholm. It would be great for
him to come to Vancouver and look and see what we have got, what kind
of made-in-Canada solution we have," said Townsend.

"If he doesn't come in the next however months, it will be just beyond
ridiculous, especially as he went to (Scandinavia)."

Clement's office has refused to discuss the fact-finding mission last
week though Swedish officials have confirmed he met with that
country's drug czar and a group promoting tougher drug policies.
Danish officials in Ottawa confirmed he met with that country's social
affairs minister.

Senator Larry Campbell, a former Vancouver mayor, agreed a visit would
be helpful even as he praised Clement for making a difficult decision.

"I think there is sort of an idea that this is a dungeon, dark, dingy,
something secretive, and really it is so open and it's so clean and so
organized," Campbell said.