Skip to main content
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
editorial
. 2002 Sep 1;93(5):336–338. doi: 10.1007/BF03404564

Safer Injection Facilities (SIFs) for Injection Drug Users (IDUs) in Canada

A Review and Call for an Evidence-focused Pilot Trial

Benedikt Fischer 15,25,35,, Jürgen Rehm 15,25,45, Gregory Kim 15,25, Amanda Robins 15,35
PMCID: PMC6979608  PMID: 12353452

The content is available as a PDF (344.7 KB).

Footnotes

Acknowledgement: The authors acknowledge funding support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Connaught Fund, University of Toronto.

References

  • 1.Hankins C, Barlow K, Black S, Cartledge V, Dineen C, Elliott D, et al. HIV, AIDS and Injection Drug Use - A National Action Plan. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada; 1997. [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Millar J. HIV, Hepatitis, and Injection Drug Use in British Columbia - Pay Now or Pay Later? Victoria, BC: Office of Provincial Health Officer; 1998. [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Strathdee S, Patrick D, Currie S, Cornelisse P, Rekart M, Montaner J, et al. Needle exchange is not enough: Lessons from the Vancouver injecting drug use study. AIDS. 1997;11:F59–F65. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199708000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Fischer B, Rehm J, Blitz-Miller T. Injection drug use and preventive measures: A comparison of Canadian and Western European jurisdictions over time. CMAJ. 2000;162(12):1709–13. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 5.Remis R, Leclerc P, Routledge R, Taylor C, Bruneau J, Beauchemin J, et al. Consortium to characterize injection drug users in Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) 1998. [Google Scholar]
  • 6.Kerr T, Palepu A. Safe injection facilities in Canada: Is it time? CMAJ. 2001;165(4):436–37. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Bruneau J, Lamothe F, Franco E, Lachance N, Désy M, Soto J, et al. High rates of HIV infection among injection drug users participating in needle exchange programs in Montreal: Results of a cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 1997;146(12):994–1002. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009240. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Fischer B, Medved W, Gliksman L, Rehm J. Illicit opiates in Toronto: A profile of current users. Addiction Research. 1999;7(5):377–415. doi: 10.3109/16066359909004395. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Gliksman L, La Prairie C, Erickson P, Wall R, Her M, Luedtke L, et al. The Toronto Drug Treatment Court: A One-Year Summary, December 1, 1998 - December 31, 1999. Toronto, ON: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; 2000. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Single E. The Canadian Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use: Overview Report 2000. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse; 2000. [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Schechter M, Strathdee S, Cornelisse P, Currie S, Patrick D, Rekart M, et al. Do needle exchange programmes increase the spread of HIV among injection drug users?: An investigation of the Vancouver outbreak. AIDS. 1999;13:F45–F51. doi: 10.1097/00002030-199904160-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Patrick D, Tyndall M, Cornelisse P, Li K, Sherlock C, Rekart M, et al. Incidence of hepatitis C virus infection among injection drug users during an outbreak of HIV infection. CMAJ. 2001;165(7):889–95. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Spittal P, Craib K, Wood E, Laliberté N, Li K, Tyndall M, et al. Risk factors for elevated HIV incidence rates among female injection drug users in Vancouver. CMAJ. 2002;166(7):894–99. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Wood E, Tyndall M, Spittal P, Li K, Kerr T, Hogg R, et al. Unsafe injection practices in a cohort of injection drug users in Vancouver: Could safer injecting rooms help? CMAJ. 2001;165(4):405–10. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Fischer B, Rehm J, Kirst M. ‘Harm Reduction’ for IDUs: International Initiatives, Programs and Evidence. Presented at the 1st Canadian Hepatitis C Conference, May 1–4, 2001. 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 16.Elliot R, Malkin I, Gold J. Establishing Safe Injection Facilities in Canada: Legal and Ethical Issues. Montréal, QC: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network; 2002. pp. 1–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 17.Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Injection Drug Use. Reducing the harm associated with injecting drug use in Canada. 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 18.Bula F. Vancouver Sun. 2002. Mayors want trial safe-injection sites; p. A3. [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Canadian Task Group on Supervised Injection Sites. Issue analysis summary. 2002. [Google Scholar]
  • 20.Fischer B. Drugs, communities and ‘harm reduction’ in Germany: The new relevance of ‘public health’ principles in local responses. J Public Health Policy. 1995;16(4):389–411. doi: 10.2307/3342618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 21.Klingemann H, Hunt G. Drug Treatment Systems in an International Perspective: Drugs, Demons, and Delinquents. London: Sage; 1998. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 22.Haemmig R. Harm reduction in Bern: From outreach to heroin maintenance. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. 1995;72(2):371–79. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 23.De Jong W, Weber U. The professional acceptance of drug use: A closer look at drug consumption rooms in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Int J Drug Policy. 1999;10(2):99–108. doi: 10.1016/S0955-3959(98)00072-3. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 24.Nadelmann E, McNeely J, Drucker E. Harm reduction drug control strategies: A global perspective. In: Lowinson J, Ruiz P, Millman R, editors. Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins; 1997. pp. 22–39. [Google Scholar]
  • 25.Dolan K, Kimber J, Fry C, Fitzgerald J, McDonald D, Trautmann F. Drug consumption facilities in Europe and the establishment of supervised injecting centres in Australia. Drug and Alcohol Review. 2000;19:337–46. doi: 10.1080/713659379. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 26.Kaldor J, Lapsley H, Mattick R, McPherson M, Weatherburn D, Wilson A. Evaluation protocol for the trial of a medically supervised injection center in Kings Cross. 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 27.Totaro P. Sydney Morning Herald. 2002. Brogden tested as heroin trial extended a year. [Google Scholar]
  • 28.Zurhold H, Kreutzfeld N, Degkwitz P, Verthein U, Krausz M. Evaluation des Gesundheitsramangebots für Drogenkonsumenten in drei europäischen Städten. Abschlussbericht. Institut für Interdisziplinäre Sucht- und Drogenforschung ISD: Hamburg; 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 29.Tagensanzeiger. Zürich führt Partydrogen-Tests ein. 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 30.Lindesmith Center. Safer Injection Rooms. The Lindesmith Center: New York; 1999. [Google Scholar]
  • 31.Mattick R, Kimber J, Kaldor J, MacDonald M, Weatherburn D, Lapsley H. Six-month process evaluation report on the medically supervised injecting center (MSIC) Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre; 2001. [Google Scholar]
  • 32.Kemmesies U. Offene Drogenszene und Druckraum: Ein empirischer Beitrag. Wiener Zeitschrift für Suchtforschung. 1996;3-4:17–31. [Google Scholar]
  • 33.Jacob J, Rottman J, Stöver H. Entstehung und Praxis eines Gesundheitsraumangebotes fur Drogenkonsumierende. Abschlußbericht der einjahrigen Evaluation des drop-in Fixpunkt, Hannover. Oldenburg: Bibliotheks und Informationssystem der Universität Oldenburg; 1999. [Google Scholar]
  • 34.Ronco C, Spuhler G, Kaiser R. Evaluation of the low threshold centre for drug users ABfD (‘Aufenthalts- und Betreuungsraum’) in Lucerne. Sozial- und Präventivmedizin. 1996;41(Suppl1):S45–S57. doi: 10.1007/BF01318588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 35.Benninghoff F, Gervasoni J, Spencer B, Dubois-Arber F. Characteristics of attenders of low threshold syringe-exchange centres in Switzerland. Revue d’épidémiologie et de Santé Publique. 1998;46(3):205–17. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  • 36.Nejedly M, Burki C. Monitoring HIV risk behaviors in a street agency with injection room in Switzerland. Bern: Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Bern; 1996. [Google Scholar]
  • 37.Fischer B, Rehm J, Robins A. Supervised injection sites (SIS) pilot study in Canada: Evaluation Framework Proposal. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: Toronto; 2002. [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES