摘要：In 2003, the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, opened North America’s first government-sanctioned safer injecting facility, where injection drug users (IDUs) can inject preobtained illicit drugs under the supervision of nurses. Use of the service by IDUs was followed by measurable reductions in public drug use and syringe sharing. IDUs who are frequently using the program tend to be high-intensity cocaine and heroin injectors and homeless individuals. The facility has provided high-risk IDUs a hygienic space where syringe sharing can be eliminated and the risk of fatal overdose reduced. Ongoing evaluation will be required to assess its impact on overdose rates and HIV infection levels, as well as its ability to improve IDU contact with medical care and addiction treatment ILLICIT INJECTION DRUG USE has led to serious public health problems, such as HIV infection and overdoses, as well as major community concerns, such as public injection drug use. 1 – 6 To address these concerns, a number of European cities and Sydney, Australia, have opened safer injection facilities (SIFs), where injection drug users (IDUs) can inject preobtained illicit drugs. 7 Unfortunately, there is a dearth of quantitative evaluations of these facilities in the public health literature. 8 In September 2003, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, opened North America’s first government-sanctioned SIF in the city’s Downtown Eastside (Figure 1 ▶ ). The SIF, known as Insite, is funded by Vancouver Coastal Health (the local health authority). We report on service uptake and client characteristics. Open in a separate window FIGURE 1— Vancouver’s supervised injecting facility.
