NURSES ARE BEING USED

Having nurses ensure illegal drug users are using safe injection methods
goes against all safety and ethical practices of drug regulatory protocol
(Nurses help addicts inject heroin: Supervision reduces disease, Dr. Peter
clinic director says, April 12).

At the Dr. Peter Centre, the nurses are observing use of unknown,
off-the-street drugs, with no control over content, dose or additives. In
any other setting, if overdosing occurs, a nurse would be held responsible
and disciplined by the Registered Nurses Association of B.C. At the Dr.
Peter Centre, nurses are being used to bypass safety practices in order to
soften the public into accepting controversial supervised injection sites.

As a former practising registered nurse, I resent the use of our profession
for this political purpose and know many other nurses who feel the same.

Cecilia von Dehn

Vancouver