The Current

Bill C-2 threatens closure of supervised injection sites

The Conservative government has labeled Bill C-2 the "Respect for Communities Act." Chief Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health, Dr. Patricia Daly, who runs Vancouver's supervised injection Insite, says the bill should be renamed the "Contempt for the Health of Communities (Act)".
When Bill C2 becomes law it could endanger some of Canada's most vulnerable people. New supervised injection sites will have difficulty opening and it will be harder for Vancouver's Insite to stay open, says Chief Medical Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health.

Through the years we've brought you a number of stories about Vancouver's Insite, safe injection site.

Insite, the supervised drug injection site in Vancouver, has been a source of controversy in the past week. There have been 31 overdoses at the site in just two days. We speak to to Vancouver's Coastal Health Authority, which operates Insite.

The facility has survived many challenges, including from the federal government. But new legislation has arisen as a major threat. Bill C-2 passed in the House of Commons late last month. And it's expected to make its way swiftly through the Senate, and then become law.

Officially called the Act to Amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Conservative government has labeled this bill the "Respect for Communities Act."

Meanwhile, some say it should be renamed the "Contempt for the Health of Communities (Act)"... including Dr. Patricia Daly. She's the Chief Medical Health Officer for Vancouver Coastal Health which runs Insite. She has been watching this legislation closely and joined us from Vancouver. 


This segment was produced by The Current's Lara O'Brien.