VISIT INJECTION SITE, MINISTER URGED

INSITE: Taking a Look Would Make Sense After Reprieve of Site, Proponents Say

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement is being urged to actually visit
North America's only safe-injection site -- now that he's decided to
let it operate for another 16 months while he does more research on
the concept.

Mark Townsend, spokesman for the PHS Community Services Society that
helps operate Insite, said a visit would be especially pertinent,
given that Clement visited 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.

Clement's office has refused to discuss last week's fact-finding
mission. Swedish officials confirmed he met with the 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.

Sen. Larry Campbell, a former Vancouver mayor, agreed that a visit
would be helpful.

"[A visit] gives you an entirely different view of it," said
Campbell, who took federal Liberal Leader Bill Graham on a recent
tour. "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."

Clement, who said research has raised questions that must be
answered, said Insite would be allowed to operate only until Dec. 31,
2007, which falls short of the three-and-half year extension
operators were seeking.

A Health Canada exemption that has allowed Insite's operation was due
to run out Sept. 12.

There were mixed reactions to Clement's extension, even from those
who supported it.

Former Vancouver mayor Mike Harcourt, who endorsed the site along
with former mayor Phil Owen, said he "admired the political
cleverness of the decision. It puts it off until after the next election."

Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in
HIV/AIDS, was angry at the move.

"This is a temporary measure for this to be dealt with in the short
term, waiting for a new political environment following the next
election, which we all anticipate will take place in a matter of
months, and then the government will ultimately show its ultimate
goal - which may not be supportive of our initiative," he said.

"The supervised injection site has saved lives, has optimized the use
of medical services by entrenched addicts who are sick because of
their addiction, has decreased risky behaviors that promote HIV
spread, hepatitis C and others, has diminished the inappropriate use
of medical resources, has not had a negative impact attracting news
users, promoting drug use," he said.

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, who urged Insite's continued operation,
said Clement's ruling will allow more time to prove Insite reduces
harm to addicts and costs to the community.

The Vancouver Police Department saluted the "very difficult decision
on a complex issue."