FIRST YEAR IS 'EXCELLENT' FOR INJECTION SITE

Operators Want to Expand to Help Crack Cocaine Users

Vancouver's safe-injection site marked its first anniversary yesterday
with a good report card, a temporary increase to 24-hour service to
meet demand and a plan to expand and include crack cocaine smokers.

An average of almost 600 injection drug users -- nearly three times
the expected number -- use the site at Hastings and Main streets each
day. It provides about 3,000 addicts with access to clean needles,
health services and has intervened in 107 overdoses with no deaths,
according to the evaluation by the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.

"We think that this first evaluation report is excellent," said Dr.
David Marsh of the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, which
commissioned the evaluation. "It demonstrates that the supervised
injection site is reducing the harm associated with injection drug use
and we particularly mean that with respect to preventing overdose deaths."

Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell said the data shows harm reduction --
one of his election platforms -- is the correct way to safeguard some
of the Downtown Eastside's estimated 4,700 addicts.

"This positive evaluation of the supervised injection site indicates
our four-pillars policy is effective," Campbell said, referring to the
policy of prevention, treatment, enforcement and harm reduction.

The report says about 588 injections take place at the site each day,
with an average of 11 visits per person per month.

From March 10 to Aug. 31, there were 107 overdoses by 72 clients. Nine
were first-time visitors and CPR had to be used on only one user.

Client satisfaction was high with 63 per cent rating the quality of
service as "excellent" and 32 per cent as "good."

The highest volume day was "welfare Wednesday" on July 28, when 845
injections were done over 18 hours. The high demand prompted this
week's three-day trial expansion to 24-hour service.

"We've decided to extend the hours from 18 hours a day to 24 hours per
day just for the three days immediately around the time when welfare
cheques are issued," Marsh said. "If it does go well, we hope to
continue it in future months but it'll just be for the period of time
around the welfare cheque issue."

Marsh and Campbell said the site already has a smoking room that has
been equipped with fans to accommodate crack cocaine users.

"We do intend to request from Health Canada permission to use that
site but we want to open it up as a supervised smoking facility,"
Marsh said. "We have to get support from all of our important
community stakeholders -- in particular the city and the police."

Proponents of the crack-smoking room contend it will allow users
access to safe pipes and mouthpieces, which will reduce transmission
of diseases like HIV and hepatitis.

The evaluation shows not everyone supports the three-year pilot
project. Of 117 business owners surveyed, 34 per cent were opposed, 46
per cent were in favour and 20 per cent were undecided.

Critics like Abbotsford Conservative MP Randy White argue the site
actually encourages drug use and funding -- including $1.5 million
from the feds -- should be redirected into treatment programs.

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SAFE-INJECTION SITE BY THE NUMBERS

Drugs Injected: Heroine, morphine, hydromorphone and cocaine.

Mean user age: 39.

Gender of users: 70 per cent male, 30 per cent female

Ethnicity of users: White 69 per cent, native 21 per cent, other 10
per cent.

Education of users: High school education, 53 per cent.

Place of residence: Downtown Eastside, 68 per cent, (35 per cent live
within three blocks of the site).

Type of residence: Hotel 35 per cent, apartment 19 per cent, no fixed
address 22 per cent, other 24 per cent.