Pubdate: Fri, 05 Oct 2007
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Cited: British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS 
http://www.cfenet.ubc.ca
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/InSite
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?142 (Supervised Injection Sites)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hr.htm (Harm Reduction)

INSITE RESEARCHERS TURN DOWN FEDERAL 'GAG ORDER' MONEY

Safe Injection Site Advocates Call Six-Month Reprieve a Political Move

The organization that conducted the most comprehensive evaluation of 
the city's supervised injection site has rejected a contract with the 
federal government to conduct further research on the facility.

The government contract offered two weeks ago to the B.C. Centre for 
Excellence in HIV/AIDS included a "gag order" on the results of the 
research, said Dr. Thomas Kerr, a research scientist with the B.C. Centre.

"We could produce an analysis showing that there's been a huge 
reduction in some type of health outcome and then have the health 
minister stand up and say once again the research has shown 
nothing--and we're supposed to sit there and not say anything," Kerr 
explained. "It was a very politically motivated contract, and we just 
couldn't do it. We don't work that way."

When Insite opened on East Hastings in September 2003, the B.C. 
Centre was awarded a $1.5 million contract funded by the federal 
government to conduct research for three years on the facility.

The Centre's researchers discovered Insite reduced the number of 
addicts injecting in public, reduced needle-sharing and led to an 
increase in referrals to detox programs and addiction treatment. The 
findings were published in peer-reviewed journals including the New 
England Journal of Medicine, the British Medical Journal, the 
Canadian Medical Association Journal and The Lancet.

Despite the findings, federal Health Minister Tony Clement refused 
last year to extend Insite's operating licence for an additional 
three-and-a-half years.

Instead, Clement approved a 16-month extension until December 2007 
and cut off research funding to the B.C. Centre. On Tuesday, Clement 
gave Insite another reprieve, extending its licence until June 2008.

Both times Clement announced extensions, he said more research on 
Insite was needed, particularly on how the facility affects 
prevention, treatment and crime.

The Courier contacted Health Canada to determine which group or 
groups will conduct the research, but had not heard back before deadline.

"We've already demonstrated that the opening of the site didn't have 
an adverse impact on crime and we also have shown that it didn't send 
a wrong message [to attract others to drug use]," Kerr said. 
"Twenty-five published studies later, how much more data do you need?"

He argued that not nearly as much research has been done on behalf of 
the RCMP's DARE drug prevention program or drug courts, and yet both 
programs have been expanded.

The B.C. Centre, however, will continue to conduct its own research 
on the site with funding from Vancouver Coastal Health and other 
agencies, Kerr said.

He characterized the six-month reprieve as more about politics than 
science. He believes the Conservatives don't want to scrap Insite 
while they hold only a minority government.

"They're hoping to have a majority and that will give them the power 
to go ahead and do what they want, which is roll out their U.S.-style 
war on drugs campaign and axe harm reduction programs."

No one has died of an overdose at Insite, which is open seven days a 
week from 10 a.m. to 4 a.m. It's the only legal injection facility in 
North America.

An average of 600 injections per day occur at the site, according to 
Vancouver Coastal Health, which operates the facility in conjunction 
with the PHS Community Services Society.

The provincial government provides funding for the site's operation, 
which is allowed only because of an exemption under the country's drug laws. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake