SUPPORTERS FEAR FOR LONE SAFE INJECTION SITE

TORONTO -- Supporters of Vancouver's safe injection site, where IV
drug users can go to shoot up safely with clean needles, saw trouble
in the tea leaves yesterday when federal Health Minister Tony Clement
postponed his news conference at the International AIDS Conference.

No explanation was given for the delay, though an aide to Clement
said it was not related to deliberations over the future of the pilot
project, the only safe injection site in North America.

But people involved in the project, including the director of the
B.C. Centre of Excellence for HIV/AIDs, expressed concern about
Clement's no-show, and about how long it has taken the new
Conservative government to announce whether it will extend the legal
exemption that permits the facility, known as Insite, to operate.
That exemption expires Sept. 12.

Further, they suggested the country is squandering an opportunity to
provide badly needed political leadership by showing support -- while
the world is here watching -- for a harm reduction program that is
believed to lower HIV transmission rates among IV drug users.

"Canada has an opportunity. The opportunity is today. Next week it
won't be the same thing," Dr. Julio Montaner, head of the B.C. centre
and a renowned AIDS researcher, said.

"What better venue to actually make this decision but the
International AIDS Conference?"

A spokesperson for Clement said the minister decided to postpone his
news conference because he and Josee Verner, minister for
international co-operation, are working to craft "the best
announcement possible" to present to the enormous gathering of AIDS
scientists and activists.

It's estimated 24,000 delegates -- plus another 3,000 reporters --
are attending the week-long conference.