Re: Three Votes Against Safe Injection Sites, letters to the editor, Oct. 6.

Whenever safe-injection sites get discussed, one can always count on
some member of the morality squad - in this case, one of your letter
writers - to utter that old saw: "If you think its so great, how about
we open one up next to your house?" - the implication being that there
is a reason to be terrified by such a prospect.

Insite has been studied to death and all evidence suggests it does not
increase the incidence of drug use or crime, but it does save lives.

In light of the evidence, let me be the first to say I would welcome
such a facility not only in my city, but right next door to my home.
If the naysayers can provide actual, peer-reviewed evidence to suggest
Insite is failing its mandate, I might reconsider, but until then, I
have to chalk this attitude up to "Drugs are bad, junkies are bad, let
them get hep C and overdose." In the long run, I hope evidence-based
policy wins out over groundless fear mongering and sanctimonious
moralizing, and we see more harm-reduction facilities like Insite
across the country.

Mark Sudworth,

Ottawa