CLEMENT CLIMBS SLIPPERY SLOPE

It's doubtful federal Health Minister Tony Clement would ever
question the ethics of doctors who try to help alcoholics kick booze.

Yet that's exactly what he did on Monday, when he attacked doctors
who work at Vancouver's supervised drug injection site, the only one
of its kind in North America.

Clement told an annual gathering of doctors in Montreal that the
controversial site, where addicts shoot up their own drugs under
medical supervision, has created a "slippery slope."

"I find the ethical considerations of supervised injections to be
profoundly disturbing," Clement said in a speech at the Canadian
Medical Association's annual meeting in Montreal.

"Is it ethical," he asked rhetorically, "for health-care
professionals to support the distribution of drugs that are of
unknown substance, or purity, or potency -- drugs that cannot
otherwise be legally prescribed?"

Clement added that "the supervised injection site undercuts the
ethics of medical practice and sets a debilitating example for all
physicians and nurses, both present and future in Canada, who might
begin to question whether it's all right to allow someone to overdose
under their care."

The fact that Clement would attack the clinic, known as Insite, is
not a surprise. His Conservative government doesn't like the clinic
and wants to close it, arguing Insite promotes drug use by
facilitating addiction.

For now, the supervised injection site is in legal limbo -- the feds
have moved to shut it down, but supporters launched a court
challenge. In its ruling, the B. C. Supreme Court struck down
sections of Canada's drug laws as unconstitutional because they
prevent Insite from operating.

The judge gave Ottawa until June 30, 2009, to bring the Controlled
Drugs and Substances Act in line with the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms, and gave Insite a constitutional exemption to stay open in
the meantime.

The Conservative government has, in turn, appealed the ruling to the
B. C. Court of Appeal, which will hear the case next April.

What sets Clement's remarks apart is not his attack on Insite, but on
the doctors who work there. Dr. Gabor Mate, who works at the clinic,
called Clement's comments "repugnant" and introduce "an element of
ugliness into the discussion." That's a fair assessment.

This almost personal attack is typical of the Harper government and
leaves many Canadians -- especially in Ontario -- with an uneasy
feeling as we head into a federal election, likely this fall. It's
little wonder the Tories are struggling in the polls to stay ahead of
the Liberals, despite leader Stephane Dion's weak performance.

Clement should stick to the facts, but even there he is on shaky
ground. Dr. Brian Day, president of the Canadian Medical Association,
responded to Clement by saying 79 per cent of members agree that the
injection sites work because they advocate harm reduction.

And Ann Livingston, spokeswoman for the Vancouver Area Network of
Drug Users, said Insite has proven to be the best approach to harm
reduction, creating a demand for such a facility in Montreal and Victoria.

So, those who actually work with drug addicts, then, say the
supervised injection site works in treating drug addicts. That's what
should matter to Clement, who seems content to appeal to the less
progressive elements of the Conservative's constituency instead of
looking at whether Insite works.