Safe Injection Sites

Safe Injection SitesThe term 'Safe Injection Site' is one that raises much controversy. Some say it ispromoting the use of illegal narcotics and other say it helps keep the 'junkies' off thestreet. After research and a survey of what the average Victorian knows about safeinjection sites this paper will describe the pros and cons of having these facilities inVictoria. What the average persons opinion and knowledge of safe injection sites are andwhat the government is doing on this situation. Before a verdict can be made on whetheror not safe injection sites are a good or a bad thing a person must know all the facts. Andthis is what this paper is set out to do.

For those who may not know a safe injection site is a facility where users ofillegal substances such as heroin and crack can be done legally. The purpose of havingthese is not to promote drug use but rather to reduce the damage that can be done withinjecting drugs into oneself.

Victoria Bridge during the aftermath of the Brisba...

English: The controversial safe-injection site for...

Victoria Bridge over the Brisbane River during the...

Canadian injection sites are heavily supervised with manynurses, doctors and basic life support equipment is available if needed.

Insite is North America's first legal supervised injection site. It is located in EastHastings, Vancouver, British Columbia. Opening in 2003 with the hopes to help controlthe usage of dirty needles, which would lead to HIV and AIDS with users. Insitedescribes itself as, "Insite was designed to be accessible to injection drug users who arenot well connected to health care services - men and women who use more than onedrug; people who experience both addiction and mental illness; people with a history oftrauma; people who are homeless, live in shelters or live in substandard housing; men andwomen of Aboriginal descent and people who have tried unsuccessfully in the past tobeat their drug addiction,"Research of the...