TAKING THE INSITE FIGHT TO EMERSON'S OFFICE

A handful of Insite advocates took their frustrations to MP David
Emerson's Kingsway office yesterday, demanding that he re-cross the
floor to protect, Insite, Vancouver's safe-injection site.

"I want Insite to stay open because Insite saves lives," said Rob
Morgan, president of Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction society. "It's
a window period of maybe five minutes [when a drug user decides to
get clean]. People who don't have that help in five minutes - they
are the guys who are going to be found in the alley with the needle
stuck in their arm."

Angel, a drug user in the Downtown Eastside, says he's seen a
dramatic decrease in the number of deaths in the neighbourhood.

"I've seen a lot of my friends sticking around rather than being
worried about getting jacked up in a bad vein ... or being alone," he
said. "I've seen seven of my friends drop at parties all in front of
me, it wasn't really something that I want to relive."

The federal Conservative government will make a decision on the fate
of Insite by Sept. 12.