POINT/COUNTERPOINT: SAFE INJECTION SITES

Located in Vancouver, Insite is North America's first and only safe
injection site. Since it opened in 2003, nearly 10,000 individuals
have visited the facility to use drugs and receive access to health
care services in the event of an overdose. But even today, some five
years later, its existence is far from secure. The Harper government
has been fighting through the courts to have the facility shut down,
and recently appealed a B.C. court decision that allowed Insite to
remain open, with the final ruling coming in April 2009. Below, two U1
students debate whether Insite's resources perpetuate drug addiction
or lead addicts on a path to recovery.

If you're going to do it, be safe

POINT

Sarina Isenberg

Drug use is inevitable in society; it will occur regardless of law
enforcement.

The negative side effects to injecting drugs unsafely range from the
possibility of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C transmission through shared
needles, to infections and overdose through needles used incorrectly.
However, these can be prevented.

Insite assists individuals to inject safely under the supervision of
nurses and trained staff who provide users with clean, sterilized
needles and educate them on the least harmful methods for injection.
After injecting, participants can receive services related to care for
the treatment of wounds and infection. If a participant experiences a
negative reaction to the drugs, medical professionals are on hand to
assist them.

Some might argue that allowing drug users to inject in a clean setting
"glamorizes" drug use, since drugs are no longer associated with dark
alleys and illicit activities that might deter possible users. But
this assumption is wholly inaccurate.

Research has proven that Insite prevents fatal overdoses, and
decreases needle sharing, public injection, and injection-related
disorders. A study published last month in The Canadian Medical
Association Journal explained that over the next ten years, Insite
could save the health care system $20-million and save 1,070 life
years. Insite is a preventative measure, helping addicts before
various illnesses associated with improper injection cause them to
rely heavily on the health care system.

Futher, Insite does not supply drugs, so opponents can rest assured
that drugs deals would continue to make many people
uncomfortable.

The real question is, should we make addicts suffer in order to "teach
them a lesson?"

Should we allow them to continue dangerous practices to possibly
contract diseases and die of overdoses when a successful prevention
already methods exists?

Insite is part of a long-term plan to assist high-risk users deal with
their addictions through referrals to addiction and counselling
services, and the safe injection site is leading to an increased
uptake in detox programs. Insite is not just a place where people
inject drugs, it is a community, a supportive environment where
marginalized groups who might not have access to adequate health care
receive medical attention.

The alternatives to Insite would involve ignoring what is happening
and enforcing stricter drug laws to the point where drug users are
forced to once again inject in unsanitary areas.

Addiction is a psychological problem, and it cannot be ignored.
Addicts need help, and at a place like Insite, they can begin a
gradual process to recovery.

Sarina Isenberg is a U1 English student and the Inter-Club Coordinator
of the McGill Global Aids Coalition.

"Just Say No" to drugs - and Insite

COUNTERPOINT

Sean Stefanik

In no other sphere of society does our government explicitly condemn a
particular act - through criminalization, for example - and then
provide funding for a facility that directly contravenes those laws.
The paradox of Insite is at the core of the debate over drug strategy
in Canada. How can we legitimately further a message of "just say no"
while simultaneously supporting facilities such as Insite? The
question of safe injection sites in Canada must not be viewed in a
vacuum; instead, it must be considered within the context of our
broader anti-drug strategy.

To begin, let's be clear about one thing: the use of dirty needles is
neither pleasant nor desirable, but the consequences of drug abuse are
far worse. Heroine, for example, can be instantly addictive; morphine,
cocaine, and methamphetamine all carry a plethora of different
problems. The harms of using dirty needles, contracting infections, or
anything else that Insite purportedly helps to prevent pale in
comparison to the broader consequence of drug addiction. In this
respect, safe injection sites are counterproductive in a number of
ways.

First and foremost, Insite provides a vehicle through which current
drug users can sustain their addictions. From clean needles and oncall
doctors to comfy chairs and the privacy of your very own cubicle, this
facility removes many elements of a drug addict's life that help to
make that addiction unsustainable.

Second, a safe and cozy atmosphere in which you can shoot up - really,
look at the pictures, it's quite the classy joint - helps to encourage
drug use in general. Dirty needles, dark alleys, and dangerous
consequences all discourage people from starting to use drugs. Insite,
however, provides individuals with a false sense of security. The
allure of medical treatment in the event of an overdose and the
availability of clean needles create an environment in which
individuals feel safe. This is a huge problem - heroine use should
never seem safe. Insite creates this illusion. By removing many of the
disincentives associated with drug use, safe injection sites impair
the government's ability to pursue a strategy centred on prevention.

This reality begs the obvious: how do we deal with current addicts?
The solution is to help them onto the path to recovery, not to
accommodate their addictions. This can be done without the dangers of
safe injection sites. For instance, putting more resources into
rehabilitation programs could be incredibility effective. These can be
more successful when they're the only means for users to get help;
Insite simply provides another way for addicts to skirt around their
addiction without dealing with the larger problems. They might not
provide users with their drugs, but offering a means for addicts to
continue their addictions is just as detrimental.

Emphasizing prevention doesn't neglect current addicts, but instead
helps to achieve a more important goal in the long-term: reducing the
absolute number of individuals addicted to drugs. This must be the top
priority of any anti-drug strategy, something that Insite fails to
recognize.

Sean Stefanik is a U1 Political Science and the Secretary of the
McGill Debating Union.