A SAFE-INJECTION CLINIC LIKE INSITE MIGHT HAVE KEPT MY AUNT ALIVE

In response to two recent columns on supervised drug injection as part
of the "treatment" for heroin addicts, I'd like to tell you about my
aunt.

At 17, she was addicted to cocaine.Her life spiralled downhill. She
stopped showing up to school, she was never home, and all of her old
friends abandoned her. Ten years later, at 26, she still lived an
addicted lifestyle. Later that year, my mother received the phone call
she had dreaded.

My aunt had died of a drug overdose.

I believe safe-injection sites can prevent users like my aunt from
dying. Safe-injection sites create a safer environment for civilians
as well as the users. If someone is addicted to drugs anyway, why not
make it safer for them? There are so many dangers on the streets.
There are laced drugs, overdoses, dealers and other addicts who can
hurt the public and themselves. If more centres like Insite existed,
most of these problems could be prevented.

Such sites also provide counseling and treatment. Since the opening of
Insite there are lower HIV-infection rates, and more people are going
into treatment.

I understand some believe safe-injection sites just enable the user to
continue using and don't teach them the lesson that drugs are a bad
thing.

But the statistics show safe-injection sites really are a positive for
our society. Let's save all of those people who are doing drugs and
dying by giving them the option of rehabilitation, counseling and safe
needles.

Sarah Kamdar

Vancouver