Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada The Supreme Court gets it right - safe injection sites make sense

Supporters and clients of Vancouver�s drug injection facility in the gritty Downtown Eastside are celebrating as Canada�s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from the federal government to close down the controversial facility.

�It�s a great morning,� former Vancouver mayor Philip Owen said, as confetti swirled outside the large, publicly-funded injection site. Mr. Owen was instrumental in raising federal, provincial and municipal funds prior to its opening in 2003. �I always thought that once we got it up and running we could prove that it works. I was a little worried this morning but the Supreme Court has done the right thing. Now we can move on. I can think of five or six other cities in Canada that want something similar.�

In a unanimous ruling, the court has ordered the federal government to allow the facility � called Insite � to continue operations under a special Health Canada exemption that allows illegal street drugs to be injected under the watch of health care providers. Insite claims it saves lives and helps maintain public order in a neighbourhood where open drug use is rampant.

Insite organized an early morning street party Friday morning, outside its doors on East Hastings Street; it coincided with the release of the Supreme Court judgement. Just before seven in the morning, local time, the decision was announced. The large crowd gathered outside Insite erupted in cheers. A pancake breakfast has attracted hundreds of homeless and marginalized area residents.

A press conference inside Insite scheduled for 8:30 Friday morning, local time.

The decision put the provincial responsibility to promote and provide health care ahead of the federal government�s right to enforce drug laws � the key question put to the court in the case.

The fate of the supervised-injection site had been muddied ever since 2008, when the Conservative federal government refused to renew a Health Canada exemption that had permitted the facility to operate in contravention of criminal drug laws.

The Tories, including former health minister Tony Clement, have said that the facility and similar �harm-reduction� programs divert money from addiction-treatment programs.

Mounds of research support the benefits of eight-year-old Insite. Research has shown the site reduces the number of drug-related deaths in the area, and research into supervised-injection sites show they contain the spread of HIV/AIDS, reduce public disorder in the surrounding areas and help addicts enter detox and other treatment programs.

The ruling is the third to go against the federal government over Insite.

Preparing for this decision, the Justice Department had previously asked the court to suspend the ruling for one year to give Ottawa time to regroup.

Sorry,I don't agree.Mandatory rehabilitation is the only way to cure the addiction problem.Drug addiction is a choice not an illness(except in the case of the mentally ill).I know this through personal experience.Building a safety net for addicts does nothing to slow down the crimes they commit to feed their addictions,and totally abrogates the need for PERSONAL RESPOSIBILITY to get straight. Monashee

Manditory re-hab virtually never works.

According to the beat cops in downtown Vancouver - insite is about the only program that has ever worked to wean drug addicts off of their addiction.

We know that fat kills more people than drugs. Should we refuse treatment for fat people? Eating too much is a choice too - it is not an illness. So, logically, following your train of thought, I guess fat people should be denied help for any fat-related illnesses they might develop. I mean - that is, if it's all about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and all.

I hope we never loose our compassion - for those less fortunate than ourselves - whether their problem is drug addiction - or obesity.

Brian,I know quite a few cops in Vancouver and none have ever said to me that Insite weans addicts from addiction.In fact they have told me that it has increased crime in the area and helps to attract addicts from other parts of Canada.Insite offers no treatment at all, they refer people to the responsible agencies and lots of organizations already do that.The only thing that Insite provides is a clean spot to shoot up and possible to help prevent the spread of HIV and HepC.While this is laudable it doesn't change the fact that it is encouraging an illegal act and does nothing towards rehab.Just another example of the socialist nanny state,screw your life up,no problem we'll help you remain a non produtive member of society at taxpayer exspence.I have drug addiction in my distant past,I pulled myself out of it.Am I any more of a man than the people using Insite?I don't think so,but I knew when it was time to turn my life around and did it.If I can anyone can,you just have to want to enough. Monashee

The whole idea is laughable and the reality is that it hasn't helped any users at all. Safe injection sites? The whole life style isn't safe and the people using them are being coddled and supported into thinking what they are doing is acceptable.
I don't want taxes going to support such nonsense, and do not think that my position lacks compassion. I believe firmly in personal responsibility and I believe that we can and should help these people if they want to be helped. Their life isn't worth saving if they are choosing to inject, and live that lifestyle and the best thing we can do is tell them that truth. Then offer them the alternative; learning socially and personally responsible and effective coping mechanisms. This isn't easy for them, but to do otherwise is an effort to paint the outside of their tomb. They are already the walking dead, and to help propagate that is sick.If you think Insite is a compassionate way of helping these people, you are as delusional as the addict. You help the obese people the same way; teach them healthy and socially responsible ways to deal with their stress.
Groups like Insite do not do that. It is a nanny state operation that makes some people ignorantly warm and fuzzy, and others money. Stupidity.
And to attack the whole "beat cops say...", these are not the experts to discuss this with. Talk to the social workers that deal with the daily aftermath of these lifestyles from all sides and not just the criminal activity. That is only one facet of many. And for the record, the majority of the VPD officers questioned about Insite said that it should be removed, as the effect is minor for the individual addict and the effect on the local community was immediately negative and has seen little improvement. That only makes logical sense.

lock the addicts up and let them go cold turkey.

No, but we shouldn't have a big room where all the fat people can come and gorge themselves on Big Macs and bacon all day under the supervision of health care providers, either...

Brian, I'm totally on your side.
Despite the opinions of the naysayers, the Insight studies and statistics have all undergone peer revues, the only naysayers reports have been completely trashed. Reduced deaths, reduced crime in the area and reduced medical costs.
Is it a cure - no, but it's a first step that many users do take. Anyone who truly has been exposed to addiction knows that it's rare, if not impossible, for someone to kick it the first time. Insight keeps these people alive so maybe they can, and will, go on to rehab.
Most of the users in the DTE are dual diagnosed - they have mental illnesses and addictions. Some became addicts because of the illness, some became ill because of the addiction. Do we abandon our mentaly ill? Not in a civilized society.
Our Son was an addict, we have a bit of real experience.
My nephew is a rehab worker in BC. He was an addict ( not heroin ), kicked it, went to University and worked rehab in Calgary. I asked him why he moved back to BC and he said that the Alberta rehab philosophy was basically, "put them on a bus and send them to BC". Maybe if Alberta took care of their own, we wouldn't have as much of a problem in the DTE.
"Socialist nanny state" - that's a pretty laughable and unsubstantiatable comment. Insight has been approved by every Vancouver Mayor since it's inception and was pioneered by a very big "C" Conservative Mayor. Left, Middle and Right, they all were in favour.

I suppose shooting drug addicts is out? A very effective way of dealing with them and quit fitting too.

Mentally ill drug addicts need treatment which Insite does not provide.Phillip Owen supported Insite as part of the Three Pillars program which included stepped up police enforcement and available rehab programs.These have been squelched by subsequent mayors.Sorry Tulameen,I stick to my statement,Insite is a "Socialist Nanny State Program".It does SFA to decrease the addiction problem in the DES,and does absolutely nothing to help provide the realisation of personal responsibility neccesary to cast aside one's addiction.A lot of the addicts in the DES are not from BC,and are attracted by the tolerable winter weather and the easy availibility of drugs.If I was still a taxpayer in Vancouver(and remember,eveybody has a vote,but only the property owners pay the bills),I would want the money wasted on Insite to go to solid accessible rehab programs,not needles,crackpipes and a clean place to get high.As I said,I am a recovered addict and proud of it.I didn't need the Governments help,I decided that my life was my own responsibility. Monashee

Good for you, Monashee. Wishe there were more like you around.

Shootist,I have a 250+ non typical mule deer buck tattooed on my right forearm.It's there to remind me of what I truly care about,and also to remind me what I would have given up if I didn't shape up and change my life.I'm very lucky,some things were far more important to me than getting high.That tattoo has been with me for almost 40 years,and has served it's purpose well. Monashee

Given those two choices, I would have gone the same way. The Lord figured in my deliverance, though.

It really doesn't matter how you get there ,as long as you want it bad enough to get it done.Different strokes..... Monashee

It is now coming out that the 'study' which supported Insite, and which the Supreme Court decision rests heavily, was biased and flawed. And since it was written by long-time proponents, you can guess which way.

They claim that Insite saves 1 life. But they never identify how many lives could be saved if the money was used alternatively, say for rehab.

And recovered addicts will tell you that forced rehab does work, it is a positive influence once they've been in. Maybe not 100% of the time, but still better than enabling continued drug use.

See Barbara Kaye in the Nat'l Post. I'll see if I can find the link.

And sober drivers kill more people than impaired drivers.......what's your point? Obesity is not a disease, nearly 100% of the time there's a direct link to an abundance of food and a lack of physical activity. Ever notice the lack of obesity in poor countries where there's a lack of food? Not too many with gland problems in those countries.

Same goes for drug abuse and alcoholism. There is no virus or bacteria that cause these and most times there's no mental illness associated either.

It should be about personal responsibilty, which is sadly lacking a great deal in the western world as many rely on handouts.

Monashee, let me first congratulate you on kicking the habit, I know it's not easy. I also agree that at some point the substance abuser has to accept responsibility for it and he or she has to take the first step towards recovery. They have to want to recover. Our Son did just that and with the help of an experienced Doctor and methadone, he has been free of heroin for 10 years.
I do however disagree with almost evrything else you have stated, including your reference to the "Three Pillars". If you truly knew about the Vancouver situation, you would be well aware that Owen promoted the "Four Pillars", not three. Prevention, Treatment, Harm Reduction and Enforcement. "Subsequent" Mayors have continued to support this program. I have lived in Vancouver for 60 years and continue to pay taxes and I am happy that a small portion of those substantial taxes support Insight and similar ventures. Much more palatable to me than bike lanes.
Your repeated references to a "SOCIALIST Nanny State" simply reflects what would appear to be a distaste for reality as ALL Civic Parties in Vancouver and ALL of the mainstream Provincial Parties have supported Insight. If you believe that the NPA and the Provincial Liberals are "Socialist", well I guess reality ain't your bag. Might I suggest that you refer to it as an "All Party Nanny State".
Again, I am sincere in my congratulations on your success, others out there need more help and support in their attempts. Insight tries to keep these people alive so maybe, just maybe, they can also become a success story.

Good on you! It takes some guts to admit a former drug problem. There are people I have known for years, that don't know of my past. You are dead on about realiseing what is important in your life. I've been clean and sober for almost 40 years. I came to a point where I realised, i was destroying my self and that was it! I wish strenghth and succeass to all who are trying to beat alcolism and addiction. Life is to precious to waste.

And just when some of you thought it couldn't get any worse, the Conservative Gov't., yes I said that right, the Conservatives, have endorsed a plan to provide synthetic heroin on a trial basis to addicts in Vancouver. This comes as a result of the NAOMI research.
That kinda tosses more cold water on the "Socialist Nanny State" theory, eh ? Darn "Socialist" Harper.
Hopefully the combination of this, Insight and the FOUR Pillars approach will help reduce the level of addiction in Vancouver.

The FOUR Pillars approach is no longer valid as the police have been pulled back from "harrassing"drug users and sellers in the DES.Harper's plan may help to wean addicts from their addiction,something that Insite is not attempting to do.Rather it facilitates their addiction,and this is what I object to. Monashee