FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WON'T MOVE QUICKLY ON SAFE INJECTION SITES

OTTAWA ( CP )- The federal government has no immediate plans to close down Vancouver's safe injection site for heroin users, says a spokesman for Health Minister Tony Clement.

Eric Waddell said the Conservative government is keeping an open mind on the issue, and waiting for a study of the site's effectiveness due this fall.

The position comes as a surprise since Conservative Leader Stephen Harper was widely quoted during the election campaign as saying he would scupper safe injection sites if elected.

"We want to see some sound evidence from this study before we make a decision on whether to support keeping the sites open," said Waddell in an interview Thursday.

" We're not going to take a reactionary stance on this thing."

Earlier this week Harper met with Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, who pressed him to maintain the program, which many addiction experts want to see replicated in other parts of the country.

Fri, 28 Apr 2006
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Canadian Press
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