Pubdate: Thu, 17 Aug 2006
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Canoe Inc
Contact:  http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: John Pigeon, 24 Hours
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Safe Injecting Rooms)

TAKING THE INSITE FIGHT TO EMERSON'S OFFICE

A handful of Insite advocates took their frustrations to MP David 
Emerson's Kingsway office yesterday, demanding that he re-cross the 
floor to protect, Insite, Vancouver's safe-injection site.

"I want Insite to stay open because Insite saves lives," said Rob 
Morgan, president of Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction society. "It's 
a window period of maybe five minutes [when a drug user decides to 
get clean]. People who don't have that help in five minutes - they 
are the guys who are going to be found in the alley with the needle 
stuck in their arm."

Angel, a drug user in the Downtown Eastside, says he's seen a 
dramatic decrease in the number of deaths in the neighbourhood.

"I've seen a lot of my friends sticking around rather than being 
worried about getting jacked up in a bad vein ... or being alone," he 
said. "I've seen seven of my friends drop at parties all in front of 
me, it wasn't really something that I want to relive."

The federal Conservative government will make a decision on the fate 
of Insite by Sept. 12.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom