Health Minister's Indecision on Insite Ignores Scientific Evidence: Federal Government Playing Politics with People's Lives

Press release containing statements by a group of national HIV/AIDS organizations against federal Health Minister Tony Clement's announcement to defer a decision on whether to extend Insite's trial period to December 2007, claiming more research is needed. The organizations argue that the research has already proven that Insite has lowered rates of HIV, HCV, mortality, and syringe sharing, and that the program increases the likelihood that drug users will move on to addiction treatment services. The federal government's stalling tactics are motivated by political ideology rather than sound policy making that is in the public interest.