Harper government to unveil new rules for supervised-injection sites

OTTAWA – The Harper government will introduce legislation Thursday to clarify the rules for supervised-injection sites.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says the legislation will respond to the need for Canadians to have a greater say in the process of opening supervised drug injection sites.

A 2011 Supreme Court ruling allowed a supervised injection site for drug addicts in Vancouver to stay open.

Supporters of the site had argued that closing the facility would violate the rights of addicts living in one of the country’s most-desolate neighbourhoods.

The federal government, meanwhile, argued the facility fosters addiction and runs counter to its tough-on-crime agenda.

Aglukkaq says the new legislation will make clear the rules for opening new supervised-injection sites in other parts of the country.