July 3, 2013

Now is the perfect time for nurses, colleagues, and all community members to urge our federal and provincial political leaders to heed the public health evidence that supervised injection services (SIS) save lives. Extensive peer-reviewed research demonstrates that SIS reduces overdose deaths, decreases unsafe injection practices that can cause infection, and increases access to detox and addiction services.

Despite the 2011 Supreme Court ruling in favour of Vancouver’s SIS (Insite) which enables this health service to continue, the federal government introduced Bill C-65 in June 2013 which poses onerous requirements designed to prevent SIS implementation. In response to the release of a study by senior researchers from the University of Toronto and St. Michael’s Hospital recommending integrated SIS into existing health services in Toronto and Ottawa, the Toronto Board of Health will be considering a staff report and SIS toolkit on July 10.

What are my nursing organizations doing on this issue?

• RNAO, Canadian Nurses Association, and Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia were intervenors in the 2011 Supreme Court case that ruled in favour of keeping Vancouver’s SIS, Insite, open. Find out more.
• Media release: Canadian Nurses Association concerned new safe injection site rules pose extra barriers, June 2013
• RNAO’s Open Letter to Minister Matthews urges provincial funding for supervised injection services, July 2013
• RNAO’s support for SIS in Toronto Public Health’s July 2013 news release

What can YOU Do?

• Sign the Canadian Nurses Association’s petition to federal Health Minister to improve access to prevention and treatment services by stopping Bill C-65
• Sign the Action Alert below to provincial Health Minister Deb Matthews to urge funding for SIS. Copies will also be sent to Premier Kathleen Wynne, Tim Hudak, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, and Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario NDP.
• Share this Action Alert with your network.