Safe Injection Sites

Health Watch

Once more the Harper Regime shows why it should be sent to the trash heap. First we had our Illustrious Industry Minister granting Mining Companies the right to dump toxic waste into our lakes and streams, all because it is cheaper for them, than to build proper storage containers.

Now our Health Minister is on the warpath against Safe Injection Sites, questioning the ethics of Doctors that support this controversial procedure. Yes, it is controversial, but at times one has to bow to the supposed knowledge of those who deal with it, than those who are in the hip pockets of Big Business, and Special Interests.

“Is it ethical for health-care professionals to support the administration of drugs that are of unknown substance, or purity or potency — drugs that cannot otherwise be legally prescribed?” Clement said Monday in a speech at the Canadian Medical Association’s annual meeting in Montreal. (source - CBC News)

As usual, the Harper Government seems unwilling to get the whole point here. The Doctors and Nurses that supervise these sites are NOT condoning the use of Illegal Drugs, nor is any Health Care Professional saying it is the only answer to the growing problem of drug use. What the Harper Government is FAILING TO ACCEPT is that it saves lives. It also helps in the PREVENTION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES LIKE HEPATITIS & HIV, because these PROFESSIONALS are supervising, WITHOUT MAKING JUDGMENTS.

This whole assault against those who disagree with the Bush Conservative Mantra, the HYPOCRITES who decries science, who denounce anyone who dares have a different opinion, is becoming tiresome. We, the People truly need to get rid of these DICTATORS and return to doing what we know is right, what we know is the Canadian Way of doing things.

I totally accept the right to have a different opinion, but I do not believe that gives anyone the right to attack the ethics of an entire group of people, who we depend on, simply for political gain. Seriously, debate the issue, instead of attacking the people who disagree. The plain and simple truth is that this program SAVES US MONEY, because it reduces the risks many IV Drug Users take, for their fix.

It isn’t about condoning their actions, but of insuring that we aren’t adding to the growing epidemics of diseases like Hepatitis, HIV, and other contagious viruses. By monitoring these sites with professionals, we are at least saving millions in possible health care costs. The question from the Health Minister shouldn’t be about the ethics of Doctors, but about how the Government can help to open up more of these sites.

These sites also create a better relationship between the drug users and health care officials. It does help in the case of Overdoes, but that is the more dramatic aspect of these sites. The simple truth is simply that it helps in the PREVENTION OF SPREADING DISEASES.

Surely that should mean something to our elected representatives? Course, I guess the answer is that as they don’t have tons of cash to donate for campaign funds, or can deliver good job opportunities once tossed out of government, they aren’t worth saving. Least that is the impression one gets from the Harper Conservatives, just as from the Bush Republicans.

Robert Ouellet, a radiologist in Montreal, said safe injection sites are an important point of entry for addicts into the health care system. He said the goal is harm reduction — by lowering the risk of disease transmission through dirty needles — as well as by providing education about drug addiction.

“We doctors think that we need to take care of patients and this is quite different. He’s doing politics, we’re doing health care,” he said. (source - CBC News)

My wife commented earlier tonight, about how it seems Politicians are only out to grab a free ride. He was totally pissed off with Politicians in general, whether it was Harper, Dion, or Layton. And to a point he is right. It seems today that our elected leaders are looking for the wedge issues, to gain election, instead of facing reality, instead of telling us the truth.

Sure, drug use sucks, and yes, it is illegal for a reason. That doesn’t mean we ignore those who are drug users, it doesn’t mean we let them loose to spread harmful killer diseases on their families or friends, or does it? According to our Health Minister is does, which is one important reason I can never support the Harper Party of Conservative. I believe in a lot of the principles that Conservatives believe in, but those aren’t what Stephen Harper and his group offer us.

It isn’t about fiscal restraint, it isn’t about less government interference, nor is it about being open and honest. It is about graft, about feeding their own and about turning their backs on those who aren’t of their kind. That isn’t what I call being a leader, nor being a Conservative. We don’t live in an ideal world. Still, is that any reason to ignore the health and well being of those who we don’t accept, such as Drug Users?

I know the arguments that they brought it on themselves, which may be true. Frankly I don’t think so, but the issue is that if we truly believe in God, in his precepts, how can we ignore them? I don’t get it, or understand how on the one hand, Harper claims to be a Good Christian, yet at the same time, he ignores people who are in need, who are different, or who don’t believe in the same God he does. That just seems so wrong, so anti God, that it is very hard to fathom.

Safe Injection Sites saves lives, saves money. It may not be pretty, but the bottom line is that it works. Until Harper & Clements can come up with a better solution, other than increased prison terms, harsher sentence guidelines, this is what we must have. Least this way we stand a chance at saving some lives.

Ian @ August 19, 2008