Pallister Doesn’t See Need for Safe Injection Sites

News

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba government−commissioned report on addiction services is being criticized after a recommendation to open a safe injection drug site was deleted.

A draft of the long−awaited report reviewing addictions and mental health was released to the media Monday morning and included a recommendation for a safe injection site in Winnipeg.

When the final report was posted online later in the day, that recommendation was gone.

Premier Brian Pallister has said he doesn’t see the need for safe injection sites but said last month he would await the report and follow its recommendations.

Dr. Brian Rush, who authored the report, says he removed the safe injection site recommendation because he didn’t have enough evidence to back it up.

The Opposition NDP says it shows the government tainted the report with its own ideology but Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen says the government did not intervene.

The Canadian Press