Although yesterday's Supreme Court decision could potentially open the doors to a number of similar facilities, there are no plans for a supervised-injection site in Prince George.
"We, of course, are aware of the Supreme Court's decision with respect to Vancouver Coastal [Health]'s safe-injection site facility and I think it's safe to say Northern Health, as well as the other B.C. health authorities and the ministry [of health] will be reviewing that and analyzing that in the coming weeks in terms of any impact it might have on similar facilities in the future," said Northern Health communications officer Eryn Collins. "Northern Health, though, has no plans for any similar facilities in the Northern Health region at this point."
Northern Health's chief medical officer Dr. Ron Chapman was not available for comment, but in 2009 his predecessor, Dr. David Bowering, supported the concept of safe-injection sites, saying they "should be considered by health authorities when they are planning their harm-reduction activities."
Calls to the local RCMP were referred to the Ottawa headquarters, as the ruling was a federal matter.
Friday's unanimous ruling ordered an immediate exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to allow Vancouver's InSite to remain open indefinitely. This judgment repeals the decision of then-health minister Tony Clement to refuse to extend the site's exemption in 2008.
This decision concluded that the federal government's attempt to shut down the facility, which has provided medical services to intravenous drug users since 2003, violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
"The infringement at stake is serious; it threatens the health, indeed the lives, of the claimants and others like them. The grave consequences that might result from a lapse in the current constitutional exemption for InSite cannot be ignored," wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin in the ruling.
At the Vancouver clinic, drug users are supervised by nurses and other health care professionals in 12 injection booths where they can inject pre-obtained illicit drugs. InSite provides supplies such as syringes, cookers, water and tourniquets. If an overdose occurs (there have been more than 1,000 between 2005 and 2010), there is a team available to intervene immediately. The nurses on site also provide other services, such as wound care and immunizations.
Without the statistics to back it up, it's difficult to say whether there is need for such a facility in Northern B.C., said Jacquie Nault, north east regional chair of the British Columbia Nurses' Union.
"We do have a needle exchange in Prince George, so I think with the Supreme Court decision, it stood up very strongly for nurses' rights to provide healthcare services within our province and I think that's where we need to go," Nault said.
The needle exchange does not provide a space for people to use drugs, rather provides users with clean needles.
The court's decision has legitimized the jobs of the nurses and staff at the Vancouver site. "They should not be prohibited from doing their job by the federal government," she said.
"I do think if the need is there for the north, then that needs to be looked at and I do think, with the supreme court decision, this is going to be looked at all over Canada. I think they're setting a bit of a precedent," Nault added.
