SAFE-INJECTION SITE EXPECTED TO SURVIVE

Local Health Officials 'Optimistic' Feds Will Grant New Permit

Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has no backup plan for handling the
demise of North America's only safe-injection site because it expects
the federal Tories to renew a crucial permit for its operation.

Activists and opposition politicians are not quite so confident, but
Coastal spokesman Clay Adams said yesterday: "We have every confidence
the federal minister, the government, will give us the exemption.

"We're very optimistic about it."

The exemption allows the administration of otherwise illegal drugs at
Insite, operated in the Downtown Eastside by Coastal Health, which
provides health services across the region, and the Portland Hotel
Society. It expires Sept. 12.

The former federal Liberal government allowed the exemption three
years ago, but the federal Tories have not said whether they will renew it.

Insite has been praised by figures ranging from Premier Gordon
Campbell to Mayor Sam Sullivan because it provides addicts a safe
place to use their drugs, allowing supervision to combat overdoses,
and diseases spread by injection drug use.

"We are clearly going to have to look at what will happen with our
clients in the event we don't get that exemption, but we're planning
ahead with the principle that we're going to get it," Adams said.

But others were less optimistic yesterday, especially because of
comments by Prime Minister Stephen Harper this week.

During a visit to Whitehorse, Harper said of Insite, "We are
undertaking some evaluations, but this government's concentration in
the fight against drugs in the next few years will be on enforcement,
prevention and treatment."

Liz Evans, executive-director of the Portland Health Society, said
that comment is worrisome because it does not acknowledge harm
reduction as a principle for dealing with illegal drug use.

"It does cause me some concern that there is no focus on harm
reduction in his statement," she said. The other pillars in the
approach are treatment, enforcement, and prevention.

Adams, on the other hand, saw some hope in Harper's comments. "He's
not indicating that he's got any negative views of the site, which
again supports the optimistic view of the site we have as being able
to continue beyond Sept. 12."