SAFE INJECTION SITES WORK

A walk through Regina's North Central area may offer some unpleasant
sights. Drug users seem to flock to the area, committing crimes, and
leaving their syringes to litter the neighbourhood, including the
playgrounds where children play. Regina's response can be described as
minimal at best.

These drug users often share needles, spreading infections, or they
overdose, requiring a quick trip to the emergency room and sometimes
ending in death. The only actions the city has taken is increased
police surveillance to deter crime and cleaning crews to pick up the
syringes. This is not enough.

It is in these times when we should look towards other cities and what
they have done about this growing issue.

Vancouver is famous for the beautiful Pacific Ocean, the majestic
Rocky Mountains, and for delicious Asian cuisine; it is a fantastic
candidate for hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, Vancouver is
equally known for back-alley drug dealers, park bench crack addicts
and the street corner prostitutes. How does Vancouver battle its drug
problem? The answer to this question is full of controversy. It has
resulted in clapped hands and raised fists since the day it was
opened. The answer is Insite.

Insite is an organization set up on Downtown Vancouver's East Side. It
is Canada's first legal supervised injection site. It was designed as
an accessible facility where drug users can go to inject drugs safely,
sleep in a warm room, receive counselling, and attend rehab programs.
It consists of many brightly lit injection stations equipped with
spacious counter tops, sinks, large mirrors, and all the necessary
materials, minus the drugs themselves. Hearing this, people have
questions like: How will this solve the drug use problem? How much
money will this cost the taxpayers? Will this encourage drug use? And
is this the best solution to our problem?

Having a set location where drug users can go will help keep them off
the streets. Insite provides needles to discourage sharing, instructs
drug users on injecting safely, offers counselling and rehab programs,
and provides drug users with much-needed shelter, all for no cost. It
lessens the spread of infection, reduces the risk of overdosing, and
encourages drug users to quit their addictions. All of this keeps
stress off our already crowded hospitals and saves us millions of
dollars in medical expenses. Insite helps clean the streets, keeps
everybody safe, and discourages drug use, all while saving us money.
What's not to like?

Vancouver has seen what Insite can do and is reaping the benefits. Can
Regina learn from its success? A supervised injection site is exactly
what this city needs. It has the power to change Regina's core area.
The need is there and the benefits are waiting. We can keep doing what
we know isn't working, or we can try something new that has results to
back it up. What will you decide?

If you want to learn more about Insite and the impact it is having in
Vancouver's Downtown East Side, you can visit www.vch.ca/sis

There you will find general information, the answers to common
questions, and the research that has been done on these supervised
injection sites.