Dharm Makwana

Continued criticism from the U.S. government on Vancouver’s supervised injection site is beyond a joke, said one the program’s directors.

The 2010 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report released this week by the U.S. Department of State recommends the government of Canada press Vancouver to eliminate Insite and drug paraphernalia distributions programs, such as clean needle exchanges, to come in line with international protocols.

Mark Townsend, executive director of the Portland Hotel Society Community Services, which runs Insite with Vancouver Coastal Health, said the report’s suggestion is rubbish because the program doesn’t violate international treaties.

A legal opinion commissioned the World Health Organizations found the supervised injection program is not illegal, does not violate international treaties and conforms with conventions to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, according to Townsend.

He suggested that both U.S. and Canadian governments examine the relevance of sections in the 1988 UN Drug Convention, which are cited in the U.S. report as reason to drop the Insite centre.

“What you need is a pragmatic, sensible, evidence based drug policy,” Townsend said. “Not some kind of, you know, 1980s, kind of Hollywood version of these problems.

“These are serious problems and the way the U.S. dealt with them hasn’t worked so it’s time to try something new.”