Pubdate: Tue, 11 Oct 2016
Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Kamloops This Week
Contact:  http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271
Author: Thomas Kerr

HARM REDUCTION REDUCES DEATHS

Editor:

As Kamloops and other municipalities contend with the current overdose
epidemic, much discussion has focused on how best to respond. Most
experts agree that we need a comprehensive system that includes
scaling up access to evidence-based addiction treatment.

However, it would be irresponsible to let people die because we failed
to simultaneously implement services, such as supervised injection
sites, which have been proven to reduce overdose deaths and are
cost-effective.

In criticizing such services, Sharlene Klein (see online letter of
Oct. 5: Use health-care dollars on treatment and recovery, not
supervised drug-use sites) has grossly misrepresented the research on
Insite.

The evaluation of Insite was not [a] clinical trial and more than
2,000 individuals who inject drugs were included the evaluation.

Further, the more than 40 peer-reviewed studies of Insite were
authored by dozens of scientists from several Canadian universities -
as well as scientists from the U.S., Britain and Australia.

Unlike the anti-supervised injecting site reports cited by Klein, the
research on Insite has been subjected to independent peer review and
published in the world's most prestigious medical and public health
journals and has been endorsed by the Canadian Medical Association,
the Canadian Nurses Association and the Canadian Public Health
Association.

Although more addiction treatment is clearly needed, excluding
evidence-based harm reduction programs will do little to save lives
and precious healthcare resources.

Dr. Thomas Kerr Professor, Department of Medicine University of
British Columbia Research Scientist, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
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MAP posted-by: Matt