SAFE INJECTION SITE DIVIDES COUNCIL

Opening a safe injection site to help deal with drug addicts downtown drew
a mixed reaction from city council members contacted Sunday.

Coun. Murry Krause thinks a safe injection site may be worth considering,
but also advises a cautious approach to the issue.

A safe injection site opened in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside last week,
but only after years of dialogue between city officials, business owners,
social workers and the addicts themselves, Krause noted.

"It didn't just happen," he said.

Both Coun. Sherry Sethen and Coun. Don Zurowski had difficulty with
providing a space for an illegal activity, but if one was to be pursued,
they said it should be located at a medical facility.

"It definitely shouldn't be in a residential area and I'm not sure it
belongs in a business area either," Sethen said.

Krause, meanwhile, said health protection and promotion should take
precedence over moral questions.

"It's about keeping people healthy and keeping them alive," he said.

Coun. Brian Skakun created some waves earlier this month when he said a
safe injection site should be considered for dealing with drug addicts in
downtown Prince George.

Earlier the same week, Skakun voted against approving a principle a request
to allocate a significant portion of revenue from sale of city land along
the Highway 16 corridor to downtown redevelopment. Social problems should
be dealt with first, he said.