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CANADA: Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site at Risk - Please Lend Your Support (NEW: Aug 1'06) As you may or may not know, the Canadian government is about to make a decision that will affect the future of North America’s first Supervised Injection Site in Vancouver. The Vancouver facility, Insite, opened in September 2003 and Vancouver Coastal Health received a three-year scientific research exemption under the Canadian Controlled Drug and Substances Act allowing Insite to have illicit drugs in the facility for research purposes. Now, that exemption is up for renewal, and the government’s decision will determine whether this groundbreaking facility continues to operate or not. Right now, that future is very much in doubt and we need your help. We need you to spread the word to your network and mobilize support for the facility. We are encouraging people to spark a fact-based discussion among decision-makers, one based on the research and health outcomes rather than politics. Here are the people they need to reach: Prime Minister Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON Canada K1A 0A2 Fax: 613-941-6900 Email:pm@pm.gc.ca Hon. Tony Clement Minister of Health House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Fax: (613) 992-5092 Email: Clement.T@parl.gc.ca We have attached a letter template below, so people simply need to take it and make it their own: *************************************************************** Dear Prime Minister Harper, I am writing in support of North America’s first Supervised Injection Site in Vancouver. I encourage you to conduct a fact-based evaluation of the efficacy of the facility, one based on research results and health outcomes rather than politics, as your government makes a decision on the future of the facility. Canada has long been regarded around the world as a leader in health care delivery and innovation. In this spirit of innovation and excellence – and in the face of unacceptably high rates of infectious disease and overdose death on Vancouver’s downtown eastside – Vancouver launched Insite, North America’s first Supervised Injection Site for people actively using intravenous drugs. Since September 2003, Insite has been a place where people can go to inject drugs and connect with health care professionals and addiction services. The program is a partnership of Vancouver Coastal Health and the Portland Hotel Society (a group representing downtown eastside residents), with the support of the Vancouver Police Department, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, academic researchers and others. Insite is staffed by nurses and addiction counsellors and offers emergency response to overdoses, wound care, education on injecting safely, and referrals to addiction, treatment and other health services. No drugs are provided or dispensed at the facility. The facility has been subject to rigorous, independent third party research and evaluation, with all research published in peer-reviewed journals. Now, after three years of operation, the research results are in. Independent, peer-reviewed research* shows that more than 7,200 unique individuals registered at Insite, and that the facility is: -Reaching high risk injection drug users -Decreasing public injection -Reducing needle sharing -Increasing use of withdrawal management(detox)services and addiction treatment -Increasing referral to community services -Reducing bacterial infections -Not increasing crime, public disorder, drug dealing, or relapse -Not increasing rates of relapse among former drug users, nor is it a negative influence on those seeking to stop drug use One of the greatest concerns about a Supervised Injection Site was that it would lead to an increase in drug-related crime and negatively impact the community adjacent to the facility. The research shows these concerns are unfounded. Rather, Insite has led to a significant decrease in public disorder and there has been no increase in drug-related crime since the facility opened. The Vancouver City Police have been a constant presence in Vancouver’s downtown eastside before and after Insite. They remain committed supporters and have publicly endorsed the continuation of the initiative. The research also points to positive heath outcomes from the facility. Insite is part of Vancouver Coastal Health’s continuum of care for people with addictions, mental illness and HIV/AIDS and, as a result, it has connected users of the facility with other health services. Over a one-year period, Insite made more than 2,000 referrals to other services, with close to 40 per cent of those referrals to addiction counseling. People using Insite are more likely to enter a detox program, with one in five regular visitors to Insite beginning a detox program. The facility also cut down on deaths from overdoses. Of the 453 overdoses that occurred at the site over a two-year period, none resulted in a fatality. If these overdoses would have happened on the street, many of these people may have died. The Supervised Injection Site is also playing a role in helping our health care system be more efficient. Researchers estimate that each person who contracts HIV/AIDS represents direct medical costs to the health care system of $150,000. If we don’t find a way to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, researchers estimate our community will bear more than $215 million in additional costs to the system in the coming years. Given Insite's role in helping to reduce the risk of transmission of the disease, it has the potential to deliver millions of dollars in savings to Canadian taxpayers. What does Vancouver look like without Insite? It means ending more than 600 injections each day back to the street or into people’s hotel rooms and apartments. An increase in shared needles and an increase in the transmission of blood-borne diseases, including HIV/AIDS. More infections from unsafe injection practices, more ER visits and more hospital admissions. It means fewer people with addictions receiving treatment, significantly fewer entering detox, seeking addiction counseling, and finding a safe place to live. The research is clear. Vancouver’s Supervised Injection Site has been successful in: -Innovation, leadership and cost effectiveness in health care delivery in Canada -Improving and supporting public order and community security -Saving lives and improving health outcomes Now, your government is considering a renewal of Vancouver Coastal Health’s three-year scientific research exemption under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act allowing Insite to continue its operations and research. We, along with our partners, strongly encourage you to support this exemption and to allow Vancouver and Canada to continue to attract interest and accolades from around the world about the vision, innovation and leadership being shown in the treatment and care of people with addictions in our community. Sincerely, |
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