Harper government moves to block supervised injection services for drug users in Canada
The House of Commons in Canada passed Bill C-2, ''the Respect for Communities Act'' that effectively bans supervised injection facilities like Insite and overturns a supreme court decision's acknowledgin the right to access the safe injection facility.
25 Mar 2015Written by Adrienne Smith,
Today, the House of Commons passed Bill C-2, the Respect for Communities Act. Pretty title, but like so much Conservative legislation, the meaning of the title, like the bill, is cruelly ironic.
What the Respect for Communities Act does is effectively block the establishment of new supervised injection facilities like Insite. The bill could make it much harder for Insite to stay open, and it effectively prevents a similar health service from opening in any other Canadian city.
Insite arose as a community response to epidemic-levels of HIV and Hepatitis C infections and overdose deaths in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. A decade of research shows that Insite saves lives, and those of us close to the ground understand the central role Insite plays in the tapestry of specialized healthcare the most vulnerable Canadians need.
Doctors can lead the way to healthier drug policies – join IDHDP now.
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