Worldwide Interest as Canada Drug Program in Court

The first and sole legal supervised injection site in North America, Vancouver-based Insite, on Thursday faces a legal challenge from the federal government that it is not providing health care, as its supporters maintain, but skirting federal drug laws and facilitating drug abuse.

The case being heard by the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa has attracted international interest. In 2009, 65 supervised injection facilities were operating in 27 cities worldwide, primarily in Australia and western Europe, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal. The World Health Organization has hailed them as a “priority intervention” in decreasing the transmission of HIV through sharing needles.

In excess of 800 people visit Insite daily, and more than 1 million injections have been supervised since it was established in 2003, said supervisor Russ Maynard. If it is found to be legal, more sites could be launched.

Addicts arrive with their own drugs, and receive sterile needles and water to inject themselves under the watch of nurses on an elevated platform. No supervised injection at Insite has caused a death, Maynard said.

The Conservative government elected in Canada in 2006 attempted to close Insite, but lost in a preemptive 2-1 provincial court ruling sought by Insite’s operators, the Portland Hotel Society.

Insite proponents cite reports documenting a steep decline in fatal drug overdoses in the area since the facility opened. “I think it’s saying we’re effective. We’re meeting our mandate,” said Maynard. Similar facilities are needed in Ontario and Quebec, he added.

Canadian Julio Montaner, president of the International AIDS Society, noted the area’s AIDS rate is the developed world’s worst. The government is ignoring scientific research and undermining health programs for its most disenfranchised residents, he said.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!