COURT RIGHT TO SUPPORT INSITE

An excerpt of an Ottawa Citizen editorial:

The sky hasn't fallen since Canada's first safe injection site opened
its doors to addicts in Vancouver's downtown eastside in 2003.

The facility has done exactly what the health-care system should be
doing -- improving the health of Canadians, especially the most
marginalized and difficult to reach.

With a unanimous ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ended a
misguided and ideologically led effort by the federal government to
shut down that safe injection site, called Insite.

The court ruled that shutting it down (by denying an exemption under
the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act) would be arbitrary and
grossly disproportionate. In doing so, the court has opened the door
for similar sites to be set up in other communities.

"Insite has saved lives and improved health without increasing the
incidence of drug use and crime in the surrounding area," the court said.

The science on Insite is old news. When it was set up with the support
of Vancouver police, the city and the B.C. government in 2003, it was,
in large part, a scientific research project. "It is a strictly
regulated health facility, and its personnel are guided by strict
policies and procedures," the decision read. "It does not provide
drugs to its clients, who must check in, sign a waiver, and are
closely monitored during and after injection. Its clients are provided
with health-care information, counselling, and referrals to various
service providers or an on-site, ondemand detox centre."

Research has found that Insite has numerous benefits, among them a
reduction of public injections, needle sharing and neighbourhood
litter. It also found that patients increased their use of detox and
long-term addiction treatment and that the program has saved taxpayers
millions and, crucially, saved lives.