Quebec OKs bid for Montreal safe-injection sites

The Quebec government has given the green light to aproject introducing facilities in the Montreal area where drug userscan legally and safely inject themselves, but it's still far frombecoming a reality.

Final approval for so-called safe-injection sites rests with thefederal government, which has strongly criticized offering drugusers legal spaces to consume illegal substances.

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In order to operate a safe-injection site, the federal governmentmust grant an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and SubstancesAct.

In 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Ottawa's refusal torenew the exemption for Vancouver's injection site the only one ofits kind in Canada was unconstitutional because it deprived peopleaccess to potentially life-saving medical care.

In response, the Conservative government tabled strict newlegislation on safe-injection sites giving the federal healthminister discretion to approve an application only under"exceptional circumstances" and only after applicants fulfil along list of onerous obligations.

The bill is currently being debated in the Senate.

Health Canada said in a statement that it doesn't publiclycomment on applications for such exemptions and there is notimetable for a decision on permits for four Montreal sites threelocated in community organizations and a fourth that will be mobile.

Canada's only legal, operating, safe-injection site calledInsite has been operating in Vancouver since 2003.

Quebec, Montreal political leaders in favour

Lucie Charlebois, Quebec's junior public health minister, saidsafe-injection sites reduce the risk of drug overdoses and offerother social and health benefits.

Montreal is also in favour of the project.

Catherine Maurice, spokeswoman for Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre,said the safe-injection file "is a priority for the mayor."

She said the federal government's approval should be a formalityand while the city acknowledges it can't be given a definitive datefor when it can go ahead with the project, "we won't wait for thefederal government forever."

If the project gets the go-ahead from Ottawa, the first injectionsite will be in Cactus Montreal, a community organization that worksto prevent blood-born and sexually transmitted infections and whichcreated North America's first needle-exchange program in 1989.

The chairman of Cactus Montreal's board of directors, LouisLetellier de St-Just, said Thursday he is happy with the developmentbut doesn't think the federal government will share in hisenthusiasm.

Letellier de St-Just said the federal bill "is like a vice,"squeezing organization like his because the proposed law makes itextremely difficult to open and maintain a safe-injection facility.

"They closed the rules really tightly," he said. "And I thinkthe bill runs against (the spirit) of the 2011 Supreme Court
decision."