DRYDEN, BRISON BACK INJECTION SITE

Liberal Leadership Hopefuls Criticize PM For Insite Stand

VANCOUVER -- Two Liberal leadership candidates say they would make
sure Vancouver's supervised drug-injection site remains open and
would consider approving new ones elsewhere in the country.

Toronto MP Ken Dryden said the site has been part of the solution to
treating addiction problems because addicts feel comfortable getting
help there.

"These are people who are in tough shape, have harmed themselves,
oftentimes have done harm to others, and the key is to try to find
your best answer. "The safe-injection site is part of that best answer."

Mr. Dryden and Scott Brison were attending a forum on the
safe-injection site yesterday. The pair and their Liberal colleagues
are in Vancouver for a caucus meeting.

The clinic, known as Insite, opened three years ago and operates
legally under an exemption to federal drug laws. Each day, about 600
drug addicts visit Insite, where they are provided with clean needles
to inject their own heroin and cocaine; they have access to nurses to
treat their health problems and to detoxification programs.

While possession of heroin and some other drugs is illegal in Canada,
the provincially funded facility operates under an exemption from
Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

But the Health Canada exemption runs out Sept. 12 and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper has said he's "not committed" to renewing it.

He has said his government would seek expert opinions on the site's
impact. Insite has already been the subject of several scientific,
economic and social reports -- some published in international
peer-reviewed journals -- that have come to positive conclusions.

Social workers use the studies to argue the facility saves lives.
Vancouver police and the RCMP suggest the existence of Insite may
serve to reduce Vancouver's high crime rate. Scientists say it helps
addicts get treatment and, though the AIDS research on Insite is
preliminary, they believe it may reduce the spread of HIV.

At last week's international AIDS forum in Toronto, speaker after
speaker praised the site, saying figures show it has saved lives.

Two separate papers commissioned by the RCMP for the Harper
government concluded concerns about elevated crime around the site
are unfounded.

Both Mr. Brison and Mr. Dryden said that as prime minister, they
would be willing to approve other safe-injection sites, including in
their own ridings if there was a need.

"Of course," Mr. Brison said. "When there's a critical mass of people
that need a safe-injection site, that's a top priority."

Insite, which is financed by the federal, provincial and municipal
governments, has registered 7,000 users during the past three years.
About 4,000 of them have been referred for counselling, with 40 per
cent asking for help to break their addictions.

Mr. Brison and Mr. Dryden were critical of Mr. Harper, saying his
handling of the Insite issue and his refusal to attend the AIDS
conference in Toronto show he is uncomfortable with Canadians in
those situations.