Pubdate: Mon, 06 Nov 2006 Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Copyright: 2006 The Vancouver Sun Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477 Author: Allan Woods, CanWest News Service OTTAWA IGNORES SUPPORT FOR INJECTION SITES Harper Government Froze New Sites Even Though Own Poll Showed Backing For Them OTTAWA -- The Harper government went against advice contained in its own internal opinion polling when it put a freeze on the creation of any new drug-injection sites for hard-core addicts, CanWest News Service has learned. Just days before Health Minister Tony Clement's Sept. 1 announcement that the government would stop, for an indefinite period of time, considering applications to open injection sites modelled on the existing one in Vancouver, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's top bureaucratic advisers received a poll they had commissioned showing six in 10 Canadians support the program. In fact, the survey revealed that a clear majority -- 56 per cent versus 38 per cent -- want the government to create more injection sites that allow addicts to receive drugs with clean needles under the care of medical professionals. In British Columbia, home to the country's only safe-injection program, support for additional programs stood at 64 per cent. The survey of 1,407 Canadians was completed by Decima Research Aug. 21 for the Privy Council Office. It is considered accurate to within 2.4 percentage points 19 times out of 20. The country was split on the best way to treat drug addiction, with 45 per cent of Canadians saying that "enforcing the law and punishing drug users" was the best way to proceed and 52 per cent opposed the law-and-order approach. And seven in 10 also said Ottawa should emphasize prevention, enforcement and treatment, rather than make it safer to use drugs. However, 56 per cent said safe-injection programs are "a step forward," while 38 per cent said they are a step backward. "The interesting thing is that the public is ahead of the government, as they most always are," said Liberal Senator Larry Campbell, a former Vancouver mayor and an advocate of safe-injection sites. "I really hope the government looks and listens to it. This isn't about being stupid or doing anything out of the ordinary. It's simply health care -- nothing more, nothing less." The government announced that it would not grant licences to open new injections sites in other cities such as Victoria and Toronto on the same day that it announced it was putting off until the end of 2007 a decision on whether to extend the Vancouver injection site by three-and-a-half years. Clement said in a news release there was insufficient evidence the program reduces drug use and fights addiction. He added that additional studies are needed on how injection sites affect crime, prevention and treatment. "Right now, the only thing the research to date has proven conclusively is drug addicts need more help to get off drugs," Clement said at the time. Vancouver New Democrat MP Libby Davies said there is "not a shadow of a doubt" in her mind that the Conservative government was determined to shut down the downtown injection site. She speculated that the results of this poll, in addition to an organized campaign by advocates of the program, combined to scupper that plan. "This is contrary to their whole agenda on drugs. They want to promote a law-and-order agenda. They want to toughen criminal sanctions against drug users," Davies said. Campbell said he believes the delay was politically motivated, and that the Conservatives do not want to make tough decisions that could be held against them when their minority government is defeated and the country is pushed back into an election campaign. "My hope," he said, "is that 16 months from now we won't have to worry about Harper." Erik Waddell, a spokesman for Clement, said the government is working on a new drug strategy that will put "greater emphasis on programs that reduce drug and alcohol abuse." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman