THERE'S NOTHING SAFE ABOUT ILLEGAL DRUG INJECTION

Editor;

I am committed to productive drug education for youth. I request you direct
your staff to use the term "supervised injection sites" and refrain from the
term "safe injection sites," when referring to centres offering services to
improve health outcomes and reduce harm to drug users.

I have spent 15 years working with children and youth, most recently as a
safe schools manager. I have spent a lot of time addressing the urgent
education awareness needs of communities, and one of the things I am aware
of is the impact of media on the perceptions of young people regarding drug
use. There is nothing 'safe' about an injection site; illicit drug use is
never safe. Supervision by health care providers, counsellors, and others
has been put in place to improve negative outcomes and to reduce harm to
drug users.

Your involvement in repeatedly sending this conflicted message to the public
about the safety of injection sites is frightening.

Theresa Campbell

Surrey School District