SUCCESS OF INSITE SHOWS IT CAN CONTROL ILLEGAL DRUGS

Regarding the article Heroin centre said best means to monitor use (Oct. 1).

I think we have come a long way to even consider the idea of
prescription heroin, as Dr. Julio Montaner suggests.

Montaner would like to make the Vancouver drug-injection centre
Insite the first free heroin distribution centre in North America.
While I have conflicted feelings about handing out free heroin, I
would like to see more injection clinics opened up in other major
cities like London. As a society we can no longer deny that illegal
drug use does not exist.

Having these clinics is all part of a health promotion concept that
is called harm reduction. The research in general shows people
experience less violence and have less health-related issues when
involved in programs like needle exchange. Specifically, the
injection centre in Vancouver has shown a 35% reduction in overdose mortality.

These centres are the future in being able to control illegal drug
use and increase this vulnerable population's health.

Cassandra Paget

Ingersoll