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Quebec backs away from safe injection sites

Last Updated: Thursday, August 21, 2008 | 3:27 PM ET

CBC News

Quebec will hold off on plans to create a safe injection site, said the province's new health minister.

Officials with Yves Bolduc's office confirmed he has no intention of pursuing negotiations to build a safe injection site in Montreal until more impact studies are done.

His predecessor, Dr. Philippe Couillard, announced in June that Quebec was keen to open such a site in Montreal, after observing similar facilities in other parts of the world, including Vancouver, home to Canada's only injection centre.

At the time, Couillard said supervised injection is a valuable method for treating drug addicts.

But a spokeswoman for Bolduc said there isn't enough concrete proof that supervised injection sites help addicts.

The declaration comes after federal Health Minister Tony Clement blasted physicians who support supervised injection, criticizing them during a speech to the Canadian Medical Association in Montreal this week.

Clement said support for safe injection sites raises serious moral and ethical concerns, and is akin to doctors letting cancer patients die even if they have a treatable tumour.

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Clement questions MDs who favour safe injection sites

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