Pubdate: Tue, 15 Aug 2006
Source: London Free Press (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The London Free Press
Contact:  http://www.lfpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/243
Author: Helen Branswell, Cp
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites)

SUPPORTERS FEAR FOR LONE SAFE INJECTION SITE

TORONTO -- Supporters of Vancouver's safe injection site, where IV 
drug users can go to shoot up safely with clean needles, saw trouble 
in the tea leaves yesterday when federal Health Minister Tony Clement 
postponed his news conference at the International AIDS Conference.

No explanation was given for the delay, though an aide to Clement 
said it was not related to deliberations over the future of the pilot 
project, the only safe injection site in North America.

But people involved in the project, including the director of the 
B.C. Centre of Excellence for HIV/AIDs, expressed concern about 
Clement's no-show, and about how long it has taken the new 
Conservative government to announce whether it will extend the legal 
exemption that permits the facility, known as Insite, to operate. 
That exemption expires Sept. 12.

Further, they suggested the country is squandering an opportunity to 
provide badly needed political leadership by showing support -- while 
the world is here watching -- for a harm reduction program that is 
believed to lower HIV transmission rates among IV drug users.

"Canada has an opportunity. The opportunity is today. Next week it 
won't be the same thing," Dr. Julio Montaner, head of the B.C. centre 
and a renowned AIDS researcher, said.

"What better venue to actually make this decision but the 
International AIDS Conference?"

A spokesperson for Clement said the minister decided to postpone his 
news conference because he and Josee Verner, minister for 
international co-operation, are working to craft "the best 
announcement possible" to present to the enormous gathering of AIDS 
scientists and activists.

It's estimated 24,000 delegates -- plus another 3,000 reporters -- 
are attending the week-long conference.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman