InSite to celebrate its 10th anniversary
On September 21, 2003, InSite first opened its doors as part of a three-year pilot project to evaluate the medical benefits of a supervised injection site. The first and only facility of its kind in North America, InSite opened at a time when HIV transmission rates in the Downtown Eastside were among the highest in the world.
Ten years later, more than 30 peer-reviewed studies have shown that InSite not only saves lives and health care dollars, but it also reduces disease transmission and promotes entry into addiction treatment.
Tomorrow morning between 9:15 and 9:45am, community leaders who were instrumental in the facility’s opening will gather at InSite (139 East Hastings Street) to mark the occasion and participate in an informal street party. VCH staff are invited to attend the celebrations to mark this important milestone.
Related links:
Supreme Court of Canada rules on Insite