Insite cuts overdose deaths by one-third published, overdose, research, similar, number

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Insite cuts overdose deaths by one-third
Top Doc hopes other communities have similar programs
John Ackermann Apr 18, 2011 10:33:19 AM

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - Another study shows Vancouver's supervised injection site is saving lives.  And BC's Chief Medical Health Officer feels the research is more proof that the facility must stay open.

The study, published in the Lancet, finds Insite has helped reduce the number of fatal overdoses on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside by 35 per cent.

Dr. Perry Kendall hopes it will help the supervised injection site with its legal fight with the Harper government.  "When you've got a program that as demonstrated effective as this one is, it has the support of a number of provinces and territories.  What would really help is if the evidence would prevail."

Kendall hopes the numbers will inspire others to make changes within their community.  "I know there certainly are other communities in BC and probably in Canada that would benefit from this.  So, I hope that Insite stops being the only such program available in Canada and becomes more widely available."

Next month, Ottawa heads to the Supreme Court to appeal a 2008 decision which ruled closing the facility would be unconstitutional.

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A room in Insite, a place where drug-users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside can inject drugs with clean needles under supervision