Insite is here to stay.
Vancouver’s controversial safe injection site has been battling for the past eight years to keep its doors open, and now that the ruling has been announced, other groups are hoping this could lead to more safe injection sites.
AIDS Vancouver Island has been advocating for a safe injection site in Victoria, and a fixed-site needle exchange, after the program was closed down three years ago.
“We are pleased with the Supreme Court of Canada’s unanimous ruling in support of Insite, and share in the relief expressed by decision makers and community leaders who support comprehensive health services for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” said James Boxshall, acting executive director of AIDS Vancouver Island.
Advocates for safe injections sites say they are necessary to provide addicts a safe place to use drugs and control their addiction.
“This is a legitimate health care service,” said Liz Evans, executive director for PHS Community Services Society in Vancouver, adding that it is a constitutional right for a drug user to have access to a place where they can use safely.
Boxshall said Insite’s decision “has properly re-oriented the assessment of harm reduction programs based on evidence rather than ideology.”
Toronto is just one more Canadian city also hoping to open a safe injection site.
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The Minister of Health is still able to decide on future sites on a case-by-case basis however, and the decision handed down Friday was only related to Insite.
“This decision by the Supreme Court of Canada represents a wise and humane ruling by a unanimous bench,” said Minister Mike de Jong of Friday’s decision. “Conclusive research studies have shown that addiction is a medical condition. Scientific evidence continually proves that Insite saves lives, is a health benefit and poses no risk to the public.”
Campaigners are now looking to the future.
Insite is the first legal supervised injection site in North America, however there are many around the world.
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