Pubdate: Fri, 25 Aug 2006
Source: Eastern Graphic, The (CN PI)
Copyright: 2006 Island Press Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.peicanada.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3500
Author: Ian Bailey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

CANADA: HEALTH MINISTER LOOKS TO SWEDEN FOR DRUG-POLICY ADVICE

Health Minister Looks To Sweden For Drug-Policy Advice

VANCOUVER - Health Minister Tony Clement appears to be looking for 
advice from Sweden as his government faces a decision on whether to 
kill Canada's only safe-injection site in Vancouver.

The Swedish embassy has confirmed the minister was scheduled to meet 
that country's drug policy co-ordinator, Bjorn Fries Thursday, as 
well as his incoming successor.

Clement was also supposed to meet with the director of European 
Cities Against Drugs, described on its website as "Europe's leading 
organization promoting a drug-free Europe." Dozens of cities have 
signed onto the group's commitment to "develop initiatives and 
efforts against drug abuse," according to the site.

Clement's office this week told The Vancouver Province he was heading 
to Denmark and Sweden, but did not respond to questions about whether 
he would be looking into drug issues.

"The minister is travelling to Sweden and Denmark to discuss patient 
wait time guarantees and other health matters of mutual interest with 
officials," said Clement's communications director, Robin Walsh.

But a Swedish embassy spokesman, speaking on background, suggested 
that Clement would be unlikely to get much information in favour of 
safe-injection sites during his visit.

Sweden has experimented with needle exchanges in some parts of the 
country, but not tried a safe-injection program like the one in Vancouver.

Although Clement's office refused to release his agenda, the embassy 
official said he got "almost three hours on drug policies but not 
really harm reduction issues because that is not what we do in Sweden.

"We don't really do that," said the official, referring to 
safe-injection sites. "We focus on rehabilitation, diversion programs."

The Vancouver Province has learned that Health Canada is supporting 
the renewal of a three-year exemption that allows the Vancouver 
facility, called Insite, to operate, but that the decision is now 
subject to a cabinet review.

Insite, launched by the former Liberal government, has been credited 
with saving scores of addicts from fatal overdoses as well as disease 
thanks to its efforts to offer supervision to addicts as they use drugs.

Scores of B.C. politicians, including B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell, 
are urging Stephen Harper's government to allow the facility to keep 
operating, though the Tories have said little about how they will 
deal with Insite.

Its current operating exemption expires on Sept. 12.

The Swedish official noted that European Cities Against Drugs was 
launched to counter more Liberal European attitudes towards drugs.

"This was basically a program to counter that Liberal trend where 
there would be more Liberalization, more about going Dutch," he said. 
"What they are focusing on is a sort of rehabilitation-diversion 
program, which is seen as an alternative to safe-injection sites."

Clement's itinerary was drafted, said the official, by the Canadian, 
Swedish and Danish delegations to the European Union in Brussels.

Clement arrived in Stockholm Thursday after spending Tuesday and 
Wednesday in Copenhagen.

Details of his Denmark appointments are not available.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman