Public health recommends safe injection sites

Media | Public health recommends safe injection sites

Caption: Joanne Vrakas reports.

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Montreal's director of public health is recommending the creation of safe injection sites for the city.
Dr. Richard Lessard presented the results of a feasibility study Friday morning.
He is recommending the creation of three fixed sites as well as a mobile safe injection unit.
The move comes two months after a Supreme Court of Canada decision(external link) to keep the Insite safe injection clinic open in Vancouver.

Image | mi-needleexchange

Caption: Cactus has run a needle exchange program based on the same harm-reduction model as safe injection sites for 20 years. (CBC)

After the release of that decision, the Quebec government said it was accepting proposals for safe injection sites.
Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc has said the sites will save lives and reduce costs to the health-care system.
The proposed clinics would be run as pilot projects and would be required to meet social acceptability standards, while working in collaboration with the police, Bolduc said in October(external link).