CANADA: HEALTH MINISTER LOOKS TO SWEDEN FOR DRUG-POLICY ADVICE

Health Minister Looks To Sweden For Drug-Policy Advice

VANCOUVER - Health Minister Tony Clement appears to be looking for
advice from Sweden as his government faces a decision on whether to
kill Canada's only safe-injection site in Vancouver.

The Swedish embassy has confirmed the minister was scheduled to meet
that country's drug policy co-ordinator, Bjorn Fries Thursday, as
well as his incoming successor.

Clement was also supposed to meet with the director of European
Cities Against Drugs, described on its website as "Europe's leading
organization promoting a drug-free Europe." Dozens of cities have
signed onto the group's commitment to "develop initiatives and
efforts against drug abuse," according to the site.

Clement's office this week told The Vancouver Province he was heading
to Denmark and Sweden, but did not respond to questions about whether
he would be looking into drug issues.

"The minister is travelling to Sweden and Denmark to discuss patient
wait time guarantees and other health matters of mutual interest with
officials," said Clement's communications director, Robin Walsh.

But a Swedish embassy spokesman, speaking on background, suggested
that Clement would be unlikely to get much information in favour of
safe-injection sites during his visit.

Sweden has experimented with needle exchanges in some parts of the
country, but not tried a safe-injection program like the one in Vancouver.

Although Clement's office refused to release his agenda, the embassy
official said he got "almost three hours on drug policies but not
really harm reduction issues because that is not what we do in Sweden.

"We don't really do that," said the official, referring to
safe-injection sites. "We focus on rehabilitation, diversion programs."

The Vancouver Province has learned that Health Canada is supporting
the renewal of a three-year exemption that allows the Vancouver
facility, called Insite, to operate, but that the decision is now
subject to a cabinet review.

Insite, launched by the former Liberal government, has been credited
with saving scores of addicts from fatal overdoses as well as disease
thanks to its efforts to offer supervision to addicts as they use drugs.

Scores of B.C. politicians, including B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell,
are urging Stephen Harper's government to allow the facility to keep
operating, though the Tories have said little about how they will
deal with Insite.

Its current operating exemption expires on Sept. 12.

The Swedish official noted that European Cities Against Drugs was
launched to counter more Liberal European attitudes towards drugs.

"This was basically a program to counter that Liberal trend where
there would be more Liberalization, more about going Dutch," he said.
"What they are focusing on is a sort of rehabilitation-diversion
program, which is seen as an alternative to safe-injection sites."

Clement's itinerary was drafted, said the official, by the Canadian,
Swedish and Danish delegations to the European Union in Brussels.

Clement arrived in Stockholm Thursday after spending Tuesday and
Wednesday in Copenhagen.

Details of his Denmark appointments are not available.