Statement made on 19 October 2011 by Senator Larry Campbell
Hon. Larry W. Campbell:
Honourable senators, I rise today to congratulate the government.
An Hon. Senator: Bravo.
Senator Campbell: I bring a little love to this august chamber.
Senator Mercer: I can feel the love.
Senator Campbell: The government is endorsing a groundbreaking trial on heroin addiction treatment. Known as SALOME, the trial aims to determine whether hydromorphone, a legal opiate, can be used effectively to wean injection users off heroin. The trial will use both heroin and hydromorphone to help addicts get through treatment programs and beat their addiction. Researchers hope the results of the trial will help more heroin addicts successfully get off this drug. This will be a great step forward for the treatment of addiction in Canada.
I also applaud the government for accepting the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Canada regarding the Insite safe injection facility.
The Supreme Court's decision was to uphold the exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that allows Insite to operate. Ultimately, Insite will stay open because it saves lives.
I hope the government will further support similar harm reduction initiatives in the name of public health. Again, I congratulate them on these two initiatives.