Safe Injection Site

title Staying Alive
description An episode of investigative journalism TV show The Fifth Estate about InSite, a safe injection site in Vancouver's bleak Downtown Eastside. Dr. Gabor Mate, who works in the detox/treatment component of the harm reduction program, sums up why people who have suffered abuse and/or mental illness get mired in cycles of addiction. Stress triggers relapse, while marginalization, stigma and homelessness make it worse. "We've created a system that produces the maximum amount of stress on the people who can least withstand it," he says. Although InSite is supported by two levels of government, police, and dozens of doctors and researchers, the federal Canadian government is threatening to close it down due to their moral qualms rather than evidence. (Open letter signed by 85 scientists: PDF.)
producer CBC
featuring Hana Gartner, Darwin Fisher, Gabor Mate, David Brodrick, Shelly Tomic, Taz Prouting
format Flash
date 13/03/09
length 00:41:34
link http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/2008-2009/staying_alive/video.html

Tags: brain video TV addiction mental_health abuse homelessness CanCon