Canadian court rules Insite drug injection clinic can stay open

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23536

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Vancouver's controversial Insite clinic can stay open, the Supreme Court said Friday in a landmark ruling.

In a unanimous decision, the court ruled that not allowing the clinic to operate under an exemption from drug laws would be a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The court ordered the federal minister of health to grant an immediate exemption to allow Insite to operate.

"Insite saves lives. Its benefits have been proven. There has been no discernable negative impact on the public safety and health objectives of Canada during its eight years of operation," the ruling said, written by chief justice Beverly McLachlin.

The court ruled that withdrawing the exemption undermines the purpose of federal drug laws, which include public health and safety.

The long-running court battle between the federal government and Insite supporters was based on the clinic's claim — supported by two lower court rulings — that it should be allowed to operate exempt from federal drug laws.

The federal Ministry of Health, which granted that exemption under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, wanted the option to withdraw it.

The B.C. Court of Appeal ruled in January 2010 that the province has the power to implement health programs for the benefit of its citizens, with or without the federal exemption.

That decision supported a B.C. Supreme Court ruling in 2008.

Insite, supported by the City of Vancouver and the B.C. government, provides sanitary conditions for addicts while they inject drugs, medical supervision to help monitor for overdoses, clean needles and counselling for those seeking rehabilitation.

The clinic does not supply any drugs.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti.../bc-insite-supreme-court-ruling-advancer.html
 
This is amazing, it went exactly the opposite way that I expected it to go. 9-0. Wow.

Maybe there is stil hope for Canada's government after all.
 
Holy shit this one really surprised me when i read it. 9-0 you can't get much more definitive then that. There is no way the conservatives can go against this and not encounter a backlash. It just shows that even though this fucking country was dumb enough to vote in these arseholes that the majority really don't like there policies that much.
 
hopefully the courts will say the same about this stupid crime bill harper is trying to pass .
 
an overwhelming 79% of voters out of 3,192 voted that drug injection sites should be legal in Canada
 
Attack Fader said:
What exactly do they do at these clinics?
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I typed something up but they said it perfectly in the article
Insite, supported by the City of Vancouver and the B.C. government, provides sanitary conditions for addicts while they inject drugs, medical supervision to help monitor for overdoses, clean needles and counselling for those seeking rehabilitation.
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Sums it up pretty nicely.
 
U.S. wanted Insite closed: WikiLeaks

A diplomatic cable shows U.S. officials opposed the Insite supervised injection site in Vancouver and wanted the federal and municipal governments to shut it down.

The reference to Vancouver-based Insite is found in a U.S. Embassy assessment of Canadian drug policy dated Nov. 2, 2009, and released through WikiLeaks.

The memo is generally favourable of the federal Conservative government's efforts to clamp down on the production and distribution of illicit drugs, including a national awareness campaign targeting youth and parents.

"However, local and provincial authorities have embarked on a number of so-called 'harm-reduction' programs," reads the cable, "including a drug injection site and distribution of drug paraphernalia to chronic users."



Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/wanted+Insite+closed+WikiLeaks/5486797/story.html#ixzz1ZYXWmLqO
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The US keeps using the phrase "harm reduction" derisively.
 
Some people have the idea that these clinics distribute free heroin, cocaine etc (from the taxpayer's dollars) to addicts - they don't.
 
Didn't the Switzerland heroin maintenance program find that most users eventually stabilized on a regular dose and rarely increased or varied it, after a certain stage?
 
After looking at the vid on there and the equipment they hand out at insite i was very surprised at how similar it is to the needle exchange in my city right on the other end of Canada. Everything at the needle exchange place here in free including micron filters which you actually have to pay for in atleast some needle exchange places in other cities like say Ottawa. They even give out free crack pipes and even pipe screens here. They also tell you how to use the equipment here, you can get health advice from the nurses i am pretty sure as well and you generally get a review of how safe you are with your gear. The guy who was working there the day i went was surprisingly helpful and was very surprised at the knowledge i had surrounding IV drug use. Granted most junkies here don't even know about the place i don't think which is truly sad. It's never on the news here and that may be because there are so many prudes on the city council here that they are afraid it would get shut down if it got too much attention.

The difference is there is not much heroin here at all and most IV opiate addicts are addicted to dilaudid, morphine or oxy for the most part. Also i would bet there are more IV cocaine users here then IV opiate addicts and they tend to not give a shit as long as they get a bell ringer going.

I doubt we would ever get a safe injection site going here as the pigs and city council are like the fucking gestapo.
 
paranoid android said:
Holy shit this one really surprised me when i read it. 9-0 you can't get much more definitive then that. There is no way the conservatives can go against this and not encounter a backlash. It just shows that even though this fucking country was dumb enough to vote in these arseholes that the majority really don't like there policies that much.
Click to expand...

QFT, absolutely.
 
crimsonjunk said:
Actually the exact opposite has been proven to be true.
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Hmm this is interesting. I wonder why this true? I dont see why there would be any reason for addicts to use less just because they have a safe place to shoot it at. Even though i randomly posted that comment when i was high i still think the opposite would be true.

And sorry movulution im usually better with my drug facts then that.
 
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