Why did the Supreme Court of Canada rule that Insite must remain open?

In PHS, the Supreme Court of Canada protected the constitutional rights of a vulnerable and often overlooked population. By allowing Insite to remain operational, the decision has saved lives.

How do you find Supreme Court rulings?

If the case has been decided by an opinion of the Court, click on the “Recent Decisions” button at the top of the home page (www.supremecourt.gov), scroll down until you find your case by date, docket number, or name on the opinions chart, then check the header at the top of odd-numbered pages of the opinion for the …

Who runs Insite?

Operation. Insite is operated in tandem by Vancouver Coastal Health and the Portland Hotel Society. Between September 2003 and July 2008, the site operated under a special exemption of Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, granted by the Liberal government via Health Canada.

What is Insite program?

Insite is a harm reduction program that is meant to be part of a continuum of care for people with addiction, mental illness and HIV/AIDS.

What did the SCC decide when the federal government attempted to have Insite closed?

They won a ruling in B.C. Supreme Court that the federal government’s decision—which would have closed Insite—was unconstitutional because it violated drug users’ right to life, liberty, and security of the person under Section 7.

Are safe injection sites legal in Canada?

Are these services legal in Canada? Yes. Supervised injection services and overdose prevention sites are legal in Canada and require an exemption under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Exemptions are granted by the federal Minister of Health.

Who created Insite?

Responding to a health crisis Insite was born from a public health crisis – the 1990s AIDS epidemic. In 1997, PHS hosted the international Out of Harms’ Way conference in Vancouver which included presentations about supervised injection in Germany and models of heroin maintenance in Switzerland and the UK.

When was Insite created?

2003
Insite. Insite is North America’s first legal supervised consumption site. It opened in 2003 and is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where there is a high number of long-term injection drug users. The facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws.

Why was an exception under Section 56 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act required at the InSite facility?

InSite opens Exemptions under section 56 of the CDSA are often extended to scientists, doctors, etc. so that they can legally work with illegal drugs for research purposes.

How many supervised injection sites are in Canada?

The first legally sanctioned supervised drug injection site in North America, Insite, opened in 2003 in Vancouver (14). As of January 2021, there are 37 SCS operating in Canada that hold valid exemptions (15).

How Much Do safe injection sites cost in Canada?

Toronto city council has already approved the supervised injection sites, which are estimated to cost $1.6 million a year to operate. Last month, Health Canada approved plans to create four supervised injection sites — two in Surrey, B.C., one in Vancouver and a mobile consumption site in Montreal.

How do I find court decisions in Ontario?

Addresses and phone numbers for individual court locations can be accessed at this link: https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/courts/Court_Addresses/. Judgments of the Ontario Court of Justice are also available on a number of subscription based services such as LexisNexis® Quicklaw™ and Westlaw Canada.

Can we see Supreme Court hearing live?

The Supreme Court has allowed live streaming of court proceedings.

How much does it cost to run Insite?

Cost-Benefit/Effectiveness The annual operating cost of the INSITE service is $3,000,000 or $14.00 per visit in the year ending August 2007. The cost per individual who used INSITE for injections was approximately $1,380.

When was Insite opened?

Insite is North America’s first legal supervised consumption site. It opened in 2003 and is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, where there is a high number of long-term injection drug users. The facility operates under a Health Canada exemption from prosecution under federal drug laws.

Is safe injection sites legal in Canada?

What is a section 56 exemption?

Under the section 56 exemption, pharmacists may prescribe (extend/renew) prescriptions for. patients who are currently on Opioid Agonist Therapies (OAT) such as methadone and. Suboxone®, when the patient is unable to obtain a new prescription from their usual provider.

How effective are supervised injection sites?

A 2014 review of 75 studies concluded such places promote safer injection conditions, reduce overdoses and increase access to health services. Supervised injection sites were associated with less outdoor drug use, and they did not appear to have any negative impacts on crime or drug use.

How many supervised injection sites are there in Canada?

How much does it cost to run a supervised injection site?

The annual estimated cost of running the SIF is $1,222,332. The corresponding cost-benefit ratio suggests that the pilot SIF would generate $4.22 for every dollar spent on SIF operational costs.