Pubdate: Wed, 24 Sep 2008
Source: Vancouver Courier (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Vancouver Courier
Contact:  http://www.vancourier.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/474
Author: Allen Garr

LADNER JABBED FOR INSITE STANCE

Last week's news conference held to mark the fifth anniversary of
Insite, Vancouver's supervised injection site, was less of a
celebration and more of an opportunity by Insite supporters to
continue their attack on the federal government.

But there was also serious criticism of local politicians and new
observations about the significant benefit Insite offers women who are
injection drug users.

While the friction between Insite supporters and Ottawa may be
intensifying, it isn't new.

One thing that was new was criticism of NPA mayoral wannabe Peter
Ladner and his law-and-order sidekick NPA Coun. Kim Capri as they
appear to be reaching out to the right wing in their party in the
midst of this municipal election campaign.

In recent weeks Ladner has questioned the value of the needle exchange
program wondering if, through the distribution of clean needles,
condoms, milk and cookies, we aren't "killing our addicted neighbours
with kindness."

As well, both Ladner and Capri have expressed limited support for
Insite saying it's just fine where it is in the Downtown Eastside. But
they are opposed to the project being expanded either at its current
location or to other parts of the city or the country.

Dr. Thomas Kerr, the principal Insite researcher with the B.C. Centre
for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, told reporters Ladner's comments on the
needle exchange were "absolutely ill informed and irresponsible." The
program was promoted by social activist John Turvey and first funded
and launched 20 years ago by then Vancouver mayor Gordon Campbell.
Needle exchanges quickly popped up all across the country after that.
Now it appears Ladner wants to roll the clock back.

Kerr, who was clearly annoyed by Ladner's musings, says the World
Health Organization, the United Nations, the National Academy of
Science "and I could go on," have declared that needle exchanges are
the "most effective intervention" in the prevention of the spread of
HIV/AIDS among injection drug users. He suggested Ladner should
"consult people who know what they are talking about."

He was equally unimpressed with what Ladner and Capri had to say about
limiting the role of Insite. Kerr and International AIDS Society
president Dr. Julio Montaner believe that, as has happened in European
countries, Insite should be expanded now that it has proved itself.

Kerr says what Ladner and Capri would have us do is "condemn" Insite
to a perpetual "pilot status." Meanwhile the 95 per cent of drug users
who are unable to access the "busiest injection site in the world"
would be denied the benefits the facility provides, including access
to treatment for their addiction.

Finally, there was the issue of drug addicted women and the role
Insite plays. Kerr and his colleagues published a study last June that
flew under the radar in the midst of Insite's legal battles with the
feds. It is titled "Seeking refuge from violence in street-based drug
scenes: Women's experience in North America's first supervised
injection site."

It's built on research that shows women who are injection drug users
are particularly subjected to violence from boyfriends, pimps and
customers. Insite isn't just a place where they are less likely to die
of overdoses or perhaps get into treatment. It is a place where they
won't be robbed, beaten, raped or killed.

And here's a stunner of a statistic. Of injection drug users under 30,
compared to the rest of the population of that age, men are 13 times
more likely to die--usually because of suicide or overdoses. Women are
54 times more likely to die, usually because of homicide.

Now remember that the very small Insite is only able to reach five per
cent of this vulnerable population. It makes you wonder about the
people who want stop it from expanding or shut it down all together.