VANCOUVER MOVES CLOSER TO SAFE INJECTION SITES

On Thursday, May 2, the Vancouver City Council unanimously endorsed a
national pilot project designed to take a harm reduction approach to drug
addiction. The primary purpose of the project is to create supervised drug
injection and consumption sites where scientific research and trials will
be conducted. After the test period, the city and the community will then
evaluate the efficiency of a harm reduction approach in reaching the twin
goals of improved public health and a lessening of street disorder.

The philosophy behind safe injection rooms is a convergence of several
factors. These are the rising risk and occurrence of overdose as the price
of drugs decreases and purity increases, the persistent high rate of HIV
and hepatitis C infection, public injection and consumption in the Downtown
Eastside, and the high cost of medical intervention and response.

"The overriding goal of harm reduction," according to the National Action
Plan from which Vancouver takes its policy, "is to minimise risk to the
individual, the community, and society as a whole through providing care
and support to our most vulnerable citizens."

Harm reduction involves moving addicts off the street and into health
services; proponents argue that the structure and stability that these
programs provide is critical for individuals attempting to rebuild their
lives and reintegrate into society.

While most do agree that reducing harm is a good thing, there is
disagreement on how it should be accomplished. Some individuals and
interest groups argue for abstinence approaches or zero-tolerance law
enforcement as better alternatives to harm reduction.

From May 1 to 3, the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre hosted an
invitation-only International Drug Education and Awareness Symposium which
was attended by approximately 1000 people, advocated increased law
enforcement and rejected the concepts of harm reduction and safe injection
sites. A suggestion made at the Symposium was that harm reduction
encourages young people to do drugs by facilitating their access to drugs.

Dean Wilson, president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users,
believes harm reduction strategies help deglamorise drug abuse and
addiction, and does not encourage young people to take up drugs. "Waiting
in line to see a doctor to get your heroin is a lot less cool than coming
downtown and shooting up in an alley," he sarcastically commented.

Donald MacPherson, Drug Policy Coordinator for Vancouver, comments that
both Council and the community generally seem to agree that, "the War on
Drugs type approach has been proven not to work... Drug use will continue
to be an issue and we need the health services, regardless."

Outside of the City of Vancouver, drug treatment programs vary by region.
While New Westminster and Surrey sponsor methadone programs, the operation
of facilities like needle exchanges often falls within the jurisdiction of
Health Authorities, not municipal governments. The Lower Mainland
Municipality Association has, however, recently developed a regional drug
strategy framework which they are in the process of pitching to local
governments. Joan Selby with the City of Burnaby is in charge of evaluating
whether the city should participate in the regional strategy or not.
Currently, Burnaby government does not have any drug treatment policies.