QUEBEC REJECTS OPENING SAFE-INJECTION FACILITIES FOR THOSE ADDICTED TO DRUGS

QUEBEC (CNS) - Quebec has decided not to open safe-injection sites
for drug addicts, citing too little scientific evidence about their
effectiveness.

The decision comes only two days after Tony Clement, the federal
Health Minister, assailed the Canadian Medical Association for
supporting Canada's first supervised drug-injection site in
Vancouver, arguing it is against their profession's code of ethics to
allow drug addicts to shoot up.

Ottawa is a vocal opponent of the project and has repeatedly tried to
shut it down, but a spokeswoman for the Quebec Health Minister Yves
Bolduc said that did not influence them.

"We are not ready to endorse what Mr. Clement said," Marie-Eve Bedard said.

"There's a question of public opinion, but we are also concerned
about the fact that there is no consensus in the medical community
about this. So right now we don't have enough information to go ahead."