SAFE INJECTION SITES MAKING A DIFFERENCE

The results are in and Vancouver's supervised injection site has
actually increased the number of drug addicts seeking treatment
programs, according to one study.

The findings of the study, conducted by the B.C. Centre for
Excellence in HIV/AIDS, was published in the latest edition of the
New England Journal of Medicine and states that nearly a fifth of
people using SIS enter into treatment.

"People who use the site are more likely to enter detox, especially
if they've had contact with the on-site counsellor," said Dr. Thomas
Kerr, one of the report's authors. "We were kind of surprised
actually, that's a significant increase in ratio. We knew there were
a lot of people getting referred to programs, but we didn't know it
would be so dramatic."

Researchers tracked 1,031 randomly selected attendees, 18 per cent of
which followed up their visits by entering a detoxification program.

The report is good news for supporters of the site, in light of
threats by the federal government to scrap funding.

"Harper said he wanted to see the evidence and now the evidence is
quite clear," said Kerr. "People said it would increase drug use and
crime in the area but it's actually proven to do the opposite. Rather
than making the problem worse, the site seems to be making it better."