SAFE DRUG INJECTION SITES WORK

Dear editor,

Regarding Tom Fletcher's June 11 op-ed, safe injection sites have
been shown to reduce the spread of HIV without increasing drug use.
They also serve as a bridge to drug treatment for an especially
hard-to-reach population. Drug users are not the only beneficiaries.
Look no further than the United States for tragic examples of
anti-drug strategies that are best avoided.

U.S. Center for Disease Control researchers estimate that 57 percent
of AIDS cases among women and 36 percent of overall AIDS cases in the
U.S. are linked to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject
drugs. This easily preventable public health crisis is a direct
result of zero tolerance laws that restrict access to clean syringes.

Can Canada afford to emulate the harm maximization approach of the
former land of the free and current record holder in citizens incarcerated?

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy

Washington D.C.