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Nurses welcome court ruling keeping InSite open
BC Nurses' Union calls on Ottawa to accept decision and amend drug laws
"We are pleased the Supreme Court of BC has agreed with our position. Trafficking in illegal drugs is a matter to be addressed through the criminal code, but drug addiction should be treated as a healthcare problem," said Debra McPherson, President of the BC Nurses' Union (BCNU). "Rather than moving this issue through appeal courts, we call on the Federal Government to amend Canada's drug laws to reflect the Court's decision and make supervised injection sites like the InSite Clinic a permanent part of Canadian healthcare."
BCNU represents nursing staff at InSite, a supervised injection site in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. InSite provides a safe injection place for people addicted to street drugs as well as referrals to primary healthcare and addictions treatment. Without harm reduction centres like InSite, addicts are forced to use drugs in unsafe conditions causing the spread of HIV, hepatitis and other diseases. Harm reduction is an important principle of nursing practice.
The BC Nurses' Union represents 26,000 Registered Nurses and allied healthcare workers in British Columbia, Canada. BCNU promotes the expansion of harm reduction centres like InSite and universal publically funded healthcare for all Canadians.
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