Harm Reduction at its Best: A case for Promoting Safe Injection Facilities

Abstract

Injection Drug Users (IDU) represent less than 1% of Canada's the total population. Nevertheless, it is estimated that health and law enforcement costs for controlling the drug problem in Canada amount to $5 billion annually. The current strategies targeting IDU have limited efficacy with reducing emergency department visits, limiting HIV/Hep C virus transmission and providing accessible health care. This paper makes the case for safe injection facilities (SIF) as a means to improve IDU health outcomes, while reducing health care expenditures, decreasing public injecting and having no impact on crime rates. This topic is of particular concern  now that the Conservative government is in the process of trying to pass bill C-2 to modify the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act making exemptions for SIF inaccessible. This is occurring while leading researchers in the field are applying for an exemption for such a facility in Ottawa.