Insite's current exemption is up in Dec. 2007. It's time to start writing letters.
"What?!" I hear you say, "But Jen, that's months away!"
However, read the post below. It looks like things are starting to move on Canada's Drug Policy. It was last updated in 2003 (For a good background on current drug policy go to the Community Insite link and click on "Further reading". Entry #8 refers to the 2003 Federal drug policy update).
Since the current government has a track record of wanting to increase the criminality of everything (particular forms of marriage, age of consent, reducing the age young offenders can be tried as adults-- just 3 quick examples), any new policy is likely to be quite punitive and heavy-handed.
Write to the Prime Minister, your MP, Minister of Health (Tony Clement), the Ministers of Indian & Northern Affairs, Status of Women, Vancouver Olympics, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development and many others. See my post on Aug 31 for reasons to choose one minister or another.
**but fair warning: there has been a cabinet shuffle: check who is the current minister.
Write about Insite specifically or about Canada's Drug Policy in general but write now!
**Nursing students: depending on your community or clinical placements, you could have some unique and worthwhile anecdotes that could really personalize this issue. See the Tips on Letter writing post -- not the next one, but the one after that.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Why start now?
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2 comments:
Hi Jen, I live not far from the safe injection site ( right by Main Skytrain Station ) and I hope the current government isn't foolish enough to close it, as it is safing lives, and also saving taxpayers money. I can't figure out if you live in Vancouver or in Ottawa, or a combination of both?
Hi Lotuslander,
I live in Ottawa. I was in Vancouver last summer for an elective and lived there in 2003 for a few months.
It's always been one of my favourite cities, and I would love to move there after I graduate (whether that will happen is another story...).
InSite is so unique and progressive, I too hope the current govt can see beyond the tip of its nose and keep it open... hand written letters from concerned citizens, or perhaps meeting with your MP next time she's in her constituency office? You and I have two of the best--Libby Davies and I've got Paul Dewar.
Anyways, thanks for visiting this blog, hope you write a letter ;-)
Jen
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