Pubdate: Wed, 19 Jun 2013
Source: Oshawa Express, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2013 Dowellman Publishing Corp
Contact:  http://www.oshawaexpress.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5299
Author: Geoff Zochodne

ACT INJECTS NEW RULES FOR SUPERVISED DRUG USE

Oshawa's member of parliament wouldn't support a safe injection site 
in Oshawa, and he says wouldn't even call them "safe" in the first place.

"There's nothing safe about putting illegal street heroin into your 
arm," says MP Colin Carrie. "The term 'safe,' we should really be 
careful when we use that."

To that end, the federal government is taking strides to make setting 
up "supervised drug consumption sites" a more difficult task. They do 
so as residents of some cities express interest in hosting new safe 
injection sites, and with Oshawa sporting a "significant amount" of 
needle drug users.

The Conservative government recently introduced the Respect for 
Communities Act. It would require any safe injection site to meet 
certain criteria before they can begin their work.

"Our Government believes that creating a location for sanctioned use 
of drugs obtained from illicit sources has the potential for great 
harm in a community," said Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. 
"Accordingly, we believe that the application process needs to be 
changed to create formal opportunities for local voices to be heard, 
and their views considered before an exemption would be considered."

Health Canada must grant an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and 
Substances Act before a supervised drug consumption site can set up. 
The Respect for Communities Act obliges safe injection site 
applicants to obtain the opinions of local law enforcement, municipal 
leaders, public health officials and the provincial or territorial 
health ministers and provide them to the federal government before it rules.

"An applicant would also be required to provide documentation that 
shows the site's expected impact on crime rates, the public health 
reasons for needing such a site and evidence that there are adequate 
resources to sustain the site's operations," states a release.

However, the Respect for Communities Act is already being met with 
scorn in some medical circles.

"Supervised injection programs are an important harm reduction 
strategy," states the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). "Harm 
reduction is a central pillar in a comprehensive public health 
approach to disease prevention and health promotion."

The CMA said it is "deeply concerned that the proposed legislation 
may be creating unnecessary obstacles and burdens that could 
ultimately deter creation of more injection sites."

The John Howard Society of Durham Region provides harm reduction 
services mandated by Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, 
but it doesn't function as a safe injection site. Even so, Beth 
Whalen, the harm reduction coordinator for the local John Howard 
Society, says she wouldn't be opposed to one.

First and foremost, notes Whalen, the sites help reduce the risk of 
diseases like HIV and hepatitis C, and have the added benefit of 
taking users out of the public eye and bringing them in contact with 
medical professionals.

"Oshawa and Durham has a significant amount of persons using 
injection drugs and using crack cocaine. When we do see more public 
places used for injection...it's because they don't have somewhere 
safer to go," explains Whalen. "Safe injection sites are around for 
the safety of the client, but it also puts them in connection with 
folks who can make appropriate referrals if they're getting to the 
stage where they're wanting to be drug-free."

The new act is partly in response to the Supreme Court of Canada's 
ruling on Vancouver's Insite safe injection site, says MP Carrie. In 
that instance, high levels of injection drug use in Vancouver and 
HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C epidemics caused the local authorities to 
open a supervised drug consumption facility.

Insite received an exemption to open its doors from the federal 
government in September 2003. No drugs are provided to users at the 
site, just supervision and monitoring.

"The experiment has proven successful," wrote the Supreme Court in 
its ruling. "Insite has saved lives and improved health without 
increasing the incidence of drug use and crime in the surrounding 
area. It is supported by the Vancouver police, the city and 
provincial governments."

Insite applied for another exemption in 2008 but was told by the 
federal government they would not receive it. A judge found this 
violated charter rights and granted the site an exemption, a ruling 
challenged by Ottawa. The 2011 Supreme Court case upheld the decision.

The same ruling said the government should make exemptions based on 
factors like "evidence, if any, on the impact of such a facility on 
crime rates, the local conditions indicating a need for such a 
supervised injection site, the regulatory structure in place to 
support the facility, the resources available to support its 
maintenance and expressions of community support or opposition."

Oshawa has methadone clinic in its downtown, but the federal 
government isn't targeting these places with its latest law.

"What we're talking about today is not for medical purposes," 
explains MP Carrie. "We're talking about facilities that want to use 
illegal substances. Anything out there under the legal framework is 
not going to be affected."

The new legislation also received the seal of approval from some law 
enforcement officials.

"Front-line law enforcement strongly believes that it is important 
for there to be a high threshold for applicants to meet before any 
supervised consumption site can be considered," says Tom Stamatakis, 
president of the Canadian Police Association. "While treating drug 
addiction is an important goal, my experience in Vancouver is that 
these sites also lead to an increase in criminal behaviour and 
disorder in the surrounding community and have a significant impact 
on police resources, and that's why it will be vital for the views of 
local police to be taken into account."

The new Respect for Communities Act must still pass the House of 
Commons before it is signed into law.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom