Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Ottawa Citizen (12.11.06) - Thursday, December 21, 2006
Peter O'Neil, Vancouver Sun
"The RCMP has concerns regarding any initiative that lowers the perceived risks associated with drug use," wrote Staff Sgt. C.D. (Chuck) Doucette, Pacific region coordinator for RCMP's drug and organized crime awareness program. "There is considerable evidence to show that when the perceived risks associated with drug use decrease, there is a corresponding increase in the number of people using drugs."
Drug overdose deaths increased between 2004 and 2005 in Vancouver while decreasing in the rest of the province, said Doucette. And there is "no evidence" that Insite users are entering drug treatment or that public drug use around Insite has decreased, he said.
Peer-reviewed, published scientific studies show Insite clients are indeed entering detoxification programs, and nearby public drug use has decreased, said Dr. Thomas Kerr, a researcher at the B.C. Center for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. The RCMP internal report contains numerous errors and lacks credibility, said Kerr. "I really wish that Chuck Doucette and the RCMP would take a similar position as the Vancouver police department, which is to support a rigorous scientific evaluation of the facility before making comment, and to really leave that type of evaluative activity with qualified scientists," he said.
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