INSITE CRITICISM BASED ON IDEOLOGY, NOT SCIENCE

Stephen Harper said he would make a decision about Insite, Vancouver's
supervised injection site, after all the research was in.

The research is in and it shows that Insite saves lives, saves tax
dollars, reduces public disorder, acts as a deterrent to drug use and
helps users of the site find detox and treatment options. Because of
this evidence, 80% of health professionals support Insite. Why, then,
is Mr. Harper's Federal Health Minister calling this support for
Insite "unethical"?

Mr. Harper and his Health Minister are using fear in an attempt to
cloud the facts. The people Tony Clement calls junkies and who he
thinks should be jailed are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters.
Ask any mother whose child survived addiction because of Insite and
they will tell you about the importance of this facility.

The reality is that Insite provides one piece of the complex puzzle
needed to help some Canadians overcome drug addiction. To be rehashing
the same old arguments against harm-reduction is depressingly immoral
and unethical. What Canada needs is a comprehensive strategy to
address drug addiction.

Liz Evans (executive director of the PHS Community Services Society
which operates Insite), Vancouver.