Vancouver’s progressive approach to drug addiction over the past 15 years is working, says a major report obtained exclusively by The Sun and based on comprehensive health and safety data.
Produced by scientists from the Urban Health Research Initiative of the B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS and the UBC Division of AIDS, the 2013 Drug Situation in Vancouver report to be released today shows liberal harm-reduction policies are effective at reducing illicit drug use and improving public safety.
In addition, the researchers have a study coming out in a top U.S. addiction journal that suggests the dramatic expansion of the needle-safety program in the Downtown Eastside led to a greater proportion of drug users turning away from injecting – from 0.4 per cent in 1996 to almost 50 per cent in recent years.
Ian Mulgrew
Vancouver Sun
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