I can only hope our Supreme Court will allow the site to continue operating. I was part of the group, playing a small role when we started the ball rolling to establish InSite. It is vital to the health of those in Vancouver East and we should have more of these operating across the country.
Dan Gardner has a great column today on why we are even in court. Here is a portion of the column...
A long list of scientific research papers published in prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals showed that Insite had done exactly what it was designed to do. Overdose deaths down. Rates of HIV and hepatitis C infection down.
"Lives are being saved, diseases are being prevented by this site, and are we putting too fine a point on it by saying the site has nothing to do with it?" McLachlin asked the federal lawyer.
"In the end, this program somehow, while not being perfect, works," interjected Justice Louis LeBel. "Have you evidence that tends to demonstrate that this program doesn't work?"
The lawyer's stammered response: "I think that's a fair observation."
Go read Dan's article.
Someone once told me, ' your rights are only as good as the next election.' That line seems to be proved right again as Stephen Harper and his right wing Conservative government try to shut down one of the great successes in treating and supporting users of drugs.
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