UBCM: Rustad vows to shut down Vancouver's first indoor supervised drug inhalation site

VANCOUVER: John Rustad has vowed to put an end to Vancouver's first indoor supervised drug inhalation site if elected.The Conservative leader said such facilities would not be operating under his watch."That's not something we'd proceed with as a Conservative government in BC," Rustad said in response to a question from the Western Standard at the Union of BC Municipalities conference.The Hope to Health Research & Innovation Centre at 625 Powell Street in the Downtown Eastside opened its doors on September 18. It was set up by the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS.Dr. Kate Salters, a research scientist with the Epidemiology and Population Health program at the BCCFE, broke down the situation in an interview with Global News."We have seven injection spaces that you'll see around that are injection booths with a table, a chair, sharps container and a mirror for safety,” she said. "Then we also have these six supervised inhalation rooms or smoking rooms where people can come and either smoke and/or ingest their drugs in a different way."Salters explained that fresh air is constantly flowing through the rooms via a negative air pressure system, and that at the end of a user's session, "all of the air evacuates within 60 seconds and in the case of an emergency it can be evacuated within 30 seconds."She said those who choose to utilize the rooms can do so for as long as staff can handle them.Under the current regulations, smoking is prohibited in nearly all public indoor settings, however as a federally-approved site the facility was able to bypass city bylaws to allow for the inhalation of illicit substances.The move was made last year as part of a pilot project, and was slated to run until 2025, at which point the results would be analyzed.The irony is that smoking tobacco, cannabis or even vaping in public places — indoors or outdoors — is illegal in BC, with fines ranging from $575 per offence..This is what the Western Standard is up againstThe Trudeau government is funding lies and propaganda by directly subsidizing the mainstream media. They do this to entrench the powerful Eastern, woke and corrupt interests that dominate the political, social and economic institutions in Canada. Federal authorities are constantly trying to censor us and stop us from publishing the stories that they don’t want you to read. Ottawa may weaponize our taxes and police against us, but we’ve got a powerful ally on our side.You. Free men, and free women. We need you to stand with us and become a member of the Western Standard. Here’s what you will get for your membership:Unlimited access to all articles from the Western Standard, Alberta Report, West Coast Standard, and Saskatchewan Standard, with no paywall. Our daily newsletter delivered to your inbox. .Access to exclusive Member-only WS events.Keep the West’s leading independent media voice strong and free.If you can, please support us with a monthly or annual membership. It takes just a moment to set up, and you will be making a big impact on keeping one the last independent media outlets in Canada free from Ottawa’s corrupting influence.

UBCM: Rustad vows to shut down Vancouver's first indoor supervised drug inhalation site

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