Federal health minister expresses unhappiness with injection site

Canada's federal health minister says he is disappointed with a B.C. Supreme Court judgment that struck down laws prohibiting possession and trafficking of drugs, giving Parliament a year to try to fix them.

Tony Clement says the Conservative government believes the best way to deal with the health issues of drug addicts is to offer treatment and prevent them from getting on drugs in the first place.

He also strongly suggested that the federal government is opposed to the continued operation of Vancouver's supervised injection site.

In the ruling issued Tuesday, Justice Ian Pitfield found that sections of the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act are inconsistent with the section of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that guarantees the right to life, liberty and security of the person.

But Clement says the federal government doesn't think the best health-care outcome is to keep people in a position where they continue to use illicit drugs.

Clement says it is not up to him to decide whether the ruling will be appealed, but says the justice minister is reviewing the matter.