Supervised Injection Sites
According to Vancouver Coastal Health (2004), a supervised injection site is a facility where drug users can have safe administration of the drugs. There have been various debates on the development of such centers. This becomes an issue especially due to the fact that maintaining such facilities would call for the input of the public funds. There are people opposed to the move and others who are for the idea. To bring a clearer understanding of the issue, there is the need to look at both the positive and the negative consequences of having such a program.
According to the CBS News (2012), most of the proponents of the idea argue that the sites would facilitate the health of the drug users without requiring them to quit using the drugs. They argue that it cannot be denied that the nation has a problem with drug abuse. However, most people tend to use the drug in very risky circumstances since they fear being known and stigmatized by the society. However, having a safe injection site could solve the situation (Vancouver Coastal Health, 2012). This is mainly because the site would operate on harm-reduction models. That is, the station seeks to reduce the extensive negative effects of the drugs on the physical health of the individuals. It also aims at reducing the negative effects on the economic and social statuses of the individuals, without requiring them to abstain from the use of drugs. As such, it can be seen that the main idea is to make sure that the drug addicts, whether they are under rehabilitation or not. A study on the same has been ongoing in Ottawa and Toronto. The recommendations of the research are that there should be supervised injection sites which would make sure that the security of the people is ensured.
There are also the arguments against the introduction of such sites. According to Blackwell and Alcoba (2012) argue that proponents of the safe injection sites aim at reducing the negative effects of a wrong activity, rather than punishing the perpetrators of the crime. This implies that the act would be as a way of making an illegal activity look more legal. With reference to the ruling of the court which argues that closing down the safe injection would endanger the lives of the drug users and infringe on their constitutional right to liberty, life and security of the persons, the opponents of the sites argue that the sites tend to make a social crime seem like a good idea. Another negative aspect of the sites is that they can undermine the current war against drug abuse. Many organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime all strive to reduce the rates of drug abuse in the nation. As such, having such sites would be undermining the efforts that have been put in place to try and reduce the rates of drug abuse. Having such sites would be a situation where the society tries to do one thing while its hands are tied behind the back.
References
Blackwell, T. & Alcoba, N. (2012). Ontario Rejects Safe Injection Sites. Retrieved on 31st Oct. 2012 from http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/11/ontario-rejects-safe-injection-sites/
CBC News. (2012). Drug Injection Sites Urged for Ottawa, Toronto. Retrieved on 31st Oct. 2012 from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2012/04/11/ottawa-toronto-safe-injection-site-study-released.html
Vancouver Coastal Health. (2012). Insite – Supervised Injection Site. Retrieved on 31st Oct. 2012 from http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/
