It’s 9/30 and way past time for the federal government to get moving on safer consumption services.
September 30, 2013 (9/30) marks the two-year anniversary of Canada’s Supreme Court decision that unanimously granted constitutional protection to Vancouver’s supervised injection site, Insite. To mark this important anniversary, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition is spearheading a campaign to let our federal government know that there is widespread support for safer consumption services. In conjunction with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and PIVOT Legal Society, we’ve created a sign-on letter to federal Minister of Health Rona Ambrose. Our letter demands that the federal government get going in the right direction to support the scale up of these important and life-saving services.
That decision recognized the improved public health and public order that stems from the implementation of this service. The Court also recognized that, under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, people who need such life-saving health services should not face possible criminal prosecution and imprisonment for attempting to use them. The decision created an important precedent supportive of expanding similar services in other communities.
An overwhelming amount of research evidence on supervised injection sites (SIS) has been published in a wide range of scientific and medical journals since Insite first opened its doors in 2003. The evidence of Insite’s positive benefits is conclusive and these services should be scaled up where needed across Canada. Indeed numerous localities are working towards this.
Supervised consumption services (SCS) have been proven to:
• decrease overdose death and injury;
• decrease risk behaviours associated with HIV and hepatitis C infection;
• increase access to health services for people who are most marginalized;
• save health care costs; and
• decrease open drug use and publicly discarded drug use equipment.
Furthermore, the evidence shows that such services do not increase crime, nor do they increase drug use.
There are over 90 SCSs operating around the world today, and considerable research about the positive public health and safety outcomes of SISs. There is also broad agreement among health professionals that SCSs should be part of a comprehensive continuum of health services for people who use drugs.
On September 30, 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that it would infringe constitutional rights to security of the person to deny an exemption from the provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that Insite could operate without staff or users fearing criminal prosecution when using this health service. The Court declared unequivocally: “Insite saves lives. Its benefits have been proven.” The Court also stated: “Where, as here, a supervised injection site will decrease the risk of death and disease, and there is little or no evidence that it will have a negative impact on public safety, the Minister should generally grant an exemption.”
All across Canada organizations of people who use drugs, front-line organizations, researchers, professionals, and community members who work with people who use drugs, are demanding increased access to supervised consumption services. It is unacceptable that a decade after Insite first opened, Vancouver remains the only city in Canada with a sanctioned supervised consumption service – and only one such service of this sort, which numerous studies have demonstrated is simply inadequate to meet local needs.
It is unethical, unconstitutional and damaging to both public health and the public purse to block access to supervised consumption services which save lives and prevent the spread of infection.
It’s time to stand up for people’s lives and take the leadership to ensure that supervised consumption services become a part of the continuum of care for people who use drugs in Canada.
