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Health authority plans for more drug injection sites in Vancouver

Dr. Patricia Daly buoyed by Trudeau government's support for Dr. Peter Centre site

Vancouver Coastal Health is pushing ahead with a plan to provide more supervised drug injection sites in the city and open them in existing community health centres.

Dr. Patricia Daly, chief medical health officer for the health authority, said the plan is in its early stages and involves examining which health centres have the greatest need for the service.

"If we put in another application [to Health Canada], it will be for more than one site," Daly told the Courier by telephone this week. "It wouldn't be for 10, but it would probably be for a handful of sites to start with. We've got a few that we're considering but I don't want to publicly say them right now."

Up until last week, Vancouver's only legal injection site was Insite on East Hastings, a facility that opened in September 2003. The Dr. Peter Centre, which caters to people with AIDS and those dealing with mental health and addictions issues, has operated an injection room for its clients since February 2002.

Last week, Health Canada officially granted the Centre an exemption under the country's drug laws to continue operating what has been a technically illegal three-booth injection room. Daly described the news as significant and a signal the new Trudeau government is open to more drug injection facilities in Vancouver and across the country.

But, she said, for more applicants to be successful in getting an exemption for an injection site, the Trudeau government must repeal a leftover piece of legislation from the Harper era.The Respect for Communities Act, or Bill C-2, is still in effect. Daly, other health officials and harm reduction advocates have said the list of criteria outlined in the bill is onerous and makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for an applicant to be granted an exemption for an injection service.

Criteria includes providing information outlining the views of police, municipal leaders, public health officials and provincial health ministers. An applicant is also required to provide documents that show the site's expected impact on crime rates, treatment options for drug users, the public health reasons for needing such a site and evidence there are resources to keep the facility operating.

"Even though Health Canada is much more open to these things, it still is a lot of work to put together any application — no matter how big or small, the requirements are extensive," said Daly, who plans to write a letter to federal Health Minister Jane Philpott requesting the bill be repealed. "It will still be an impediment —even with a willing government — to people who want to put together that application."

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Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott (centre) visited the Insite supervised drug injection site Wednesday. The longtime family doctor described her visit as a very moving experience. Photo courtesy Health Canada

Philpott was in Vancouver Wednesday and Thursday to meet with provincial and territorial health ministers. The minister visited Insite Wednesday and described it as "a very moving experience." Philpott said she thanked the staff for their work in saving lives, preventing the spread of infectious diseases and linking drug users to health care services.

"I wanted to commend all of those who had worked so hard to make it possible and to encourage them and to let them know that our government will continue to work to reduce harm to Canadians," the minister said during a news conference Thursday at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

In taking questions from reporters, Philpott told the Courier the Trudeau government has yet to evaluate Bill C-2 and whether it will be repealed.

"I certainly look forward to hearing from others and continuing to find ways to reduce harm for Canadians and make sure that we keep them healthy," said Philpott, a longtime family doctor and founder of a charity that raised more than $4 million to help people affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa.

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Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott was in Vancouver this week to attend a meeting of provincial and territorial health ministers. Photo Dan Toulgoet

B.C. Health Minister Terry Lake told the Courier after the news conference that he supports Daly's call to have Bill C-2 repealed. Provincial health officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, has also called for the bill to be repealed.

"I completely agree with repealing that legislation, which really was designed to prevent the establishment of safe injection sites," Lake said.

Insite and the Dr. Peter Centre's injection room opened when a previous Liberal government was in power in Ottawa. When the Harper government got elected, it engaged in several legal battles in attempts to close Insite's doors. Staff at the facility say no client has ever died of a drug overdose in the injection room.

mhowell@vancourier.com

@Howellings