THE FACTS SHOW INSITE SAVES LIVES AND DIRECTS ADDICTS TO TREATMENT

It is disappointing to read another editorial in which the facts about
Vancouver Coastal Health's supervised injection site (SIS) are again
ignored.

Over 30 independent peer-reviewed studies confirm Insite is saving
lives in the Downtown Eastside. The New England Journal of Medicine,
The Lancet and the Canadian Medical Association Journal are hardly
places where you'd expect to find "flawed research," as The Province
states.

Insite serves an extremely marginalized population, disconnected to
many things most of us take for granted, including health care. Last
year, Insite nurses intervened in 222 overdoses; half were full
respiratory arrest. They were not breathing. Had Insite staff not
intervened, many likely would have died or been permanently injured.

An Insite user takes a conscious step, albeit a small one, to improve
their health. Once in Insite, injection drug users are shown how to
reduce the likelihood of contracting or spreading HIV and Hepatitis C.
Our work in alleviating the spread of HIV has paid off. In 2006 there
were just 30 new cases of HIV in the Downtown Eastside, compared with
2,100 new cases a decade earlier.

Harm reduction and education measures at Insite, the expanded needle
exchange program, methadone maintenance and other areas in our
addiction strategy contributed dramatically to reducing the spread of
HIV in the Downtown Eastside.

Estimates are that a person with HIV incurs $350,000 worth of
health-care costs during their lifetime -- setting aside the shortened
life expectancy and tremendous life challenges that come with this
infection.

Making a significant dent in stopping the spread of HIV saves
countless health dollars. It also saves lives.

Once in Insite, injection drug users connect with health-care staff
who help them get housing and social services they can't obtain
because of how they lead their lives. Insite helped people connect to
social services over 2,260 times last year. Insite nurses provided
first aid and medical care on 4,000 occasions last year.

Insite users who want to withdraw from drugs have quick access to
Onsite, a detox centre located above the SIS. This works well for
people who have chaotic lives and extreme challenges attending
appointments.

Our stats show clients who use Insite are twice as likely to engage in
addiction treatment such as detox than an injection drug user who doesn't.

Your editorial suggests we direct services toward treatment and
prevention of addiction. We already do, as 80 per cent of our
addiction services budget of $114 million is devoted to treatment.

Lastly, we have never called Insite a "safe" injection site. It is
never safe to inject illicit drugs. Insite is a supervised injection
site, set up to reduce harm and provide care to a concentrated
population of long-term and seriously addicted individuals living in
the Downtown Eastside.

Dr. David Marsh is medical director of addiction, HIV and aboriginal
health for Vancouver Coastal Health.