B.C. DRUG CENTRE CHALLENGES INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

Supporters Say Use Of The Sanctioned Drug Injection Room Is Consistent With
Protocols

OTTAWA - Although it professes to "recognize the importance of community
participation" in fighting drug abuse, the International Narcotics Control
Board says Canada is violating international treaties by sanctioning North
America's first drug injection room for addicts.

The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority was granted a ministerial exemption
from the Controlled Drugs & Substances Act last summer. Section 56 provides
for exemptions when a project is deemed "necessary for a medical or
scientific purpose or is otherwise in the public interest."

The program got underway last September but the Vienna-based narcotics
agency warned in its latest annual report that "such sites are contrary to
the fundamental provisions of the international drug control treaties,
which oblige states . . . to ensure that drugs are used only for medical or
scientific purposes."

Catherine Saunders, a Health Canada spokesperson on the issue of controlled
substances, explained that since the Vancouver project is designed to
gather data, it is a scientific venture and hence is "consistent" with
Canada's commitments in various international protocols.

Saunders noted that Australia has had a similar pilot project since early
last year and that Germany has 22 established sites, Switzerland 17 and the
Netherlands 16.

She also said none of the United Nations conventions cited by the Vienna
agency addresses the overriding issue of health threats posed by
uncontrolled abuse.

When she announced Ottawa's blessing for the project, Vancouver Centre MP
Dr. Hedy Fry said Health Canada would provide up to $1.5 million over four
years to support the "evaluation component" of the project. The goal is to
assess whether supervised injection would not only reduce the harm
associated with illicit drug use but also improve users' health, increase
their use of health and social services, and reduce the health, social,
legal and incarceration costs associated with drug use.

Harm reduction strategy

"The lessons learned will provide us with valuable insight into the value
and effectiveness of supervised injection sites as a harm-reduction
strategy," Dr. Fry said. "Research into the root causes of substance abuse,
prevention and harm reduction is an important element of the renewed
National Drug Strategy."

Viviana Zanocco, spokeswoman for the regional health authority, declined
comment on the Vienna statement, preferring to stick with the "very
positive" community response to the project. She said addicts initially
worried that police would wait outside to arrest them, adding the police
have been fabulous, handing out cards with the centre's phone number and
givings directions.

Zanocco said the number of clients has risen steadily over the winter and
the centre expects to distribute no less than three million needles a year
as part of an aggressive campaign to curb the spread of disease from dirty
needles. "And we take in more than we give out," she said.