Safe injection sites have met with resounding success in many countries around the world, reducing crime rates and putting local communities at less risk. Their impact has been undeniably effective and the necessity for continuing them remains vital.

The positive impact on public security includes reducing the social nuisance associated with drug use and drug-related crime. Instead of punishing drug users, safe-injection sites provide the police with an opportunity to engage with the drug users and alleviate the harm drug use has traditionally caused communities. As such, police officers are able to develop a positive relationship with both the users and the society affected by drug use and drug-related crime. Furthermore, the people living in those communities affected most by high rates of drug abuse tend to feel safer after safe-injection sites have been implemented in their communities.

The law enforcement system puts considerable time and effort into drug-related crime and other problems associated with the use of drugs, but achieves little by it. In some respects, this is “mission impossible” for a policeman, who cannot deal effectively with the drugs problem on the front line. Instead, the situation should be treated primarily as a public health and social issue, with trained workers dealing with the drug users. This enables the police to focus on the public order and security side of the problem.

Of course, this is not an ideal solution, but in a situation that urgently requires a pragmatic and practical approach, it is difficult to imagine anything that can be more effective.

Extensive research strongly supports such sites. In 2006, for example, the Dutch law enforcement in The Hague found that reports on drug-related incidence in the vicinity of the injection sites decreased by 23 per cent. In the surrounding area, reports of such incidences dropped by 79 per cent.

Similarly, according to a 2007 report by the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) in Australia, drug-related crime decreased by 30 to 40 per cent. An overwhelming 80 per cent of local residents living in that neighbourhood during the past six years supported the safe injection site.

The same findings were echoed in a report presented this year by criminologist Neil Boyd on Vancouver's safe injection site, Insite. According to Mr. Boyd, 80 per cent of residents, business owners and police in the area support the site. The report also revealed what a sound investment the site is. For every $1 spent on Insite, up to $4 of taxpayers' money is saved, money that would have been spent on more law enforcement, prisons and emergency health care.

As an effective, community based-response to drug-related problems in Vancouver, Insite has built on successful experiences by countries with similar drug addiction challenges. All its good work, however, could be compromised with its scheduled closure on June 30.

Insite has been a resounding success in saving lives, in saving the public's money and in saving time spent by health workers and the police. Since 2006, 336 overdoses have been successfully treated at Insite with no deaths. Police officers even use Insite to pull drug users off the streets and bring them to the centre, allowing users to seek not only medical assistance but also counselling towards ending their addiction.

Beyond the health benefits Insite has shown that sites like it neither increase drug related crimes nor attract criminals to the site. On the contrary, if similar centres were to open across Canada, crime rates could further decrease as more and more drug users would be reached by the safety networks provided by these centres.

A public security paradigm that is community-based is more conducive to public order. Given that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has, quite rightly, named Canada's security as one of his main priorities, we have no doubt that he will understand Insite's positive contribution to public security.

Mr. Harper has the ideal opportunity to reconfirm Canada's leadership on effective, pragmatic and community-based responses to drug-related challenges. The Insite safe injection site for drug users does not attract crime and drug-related problems, but is a first step toward solving them.


Raymond Kendall is a former secretary general of Interpol. Norine MacDonald is the founding president of ICOS.