SafeGames 2010 at Vancouver Olympics Presents

    
    Global Insite: A Public Dialogue on Vancouver's Innovative Response to the
    International Question of What to do About Drugs




    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 16 /CNW/ --

    
</pre>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<pre>
    
    WHEN:     Friday 19th February 2010
              7.00 pm - 9.00 pm; doors open 6.30 pm
    
</pre>
<p> </p>
<pre>
    
    WHERE:    Japanese Language Hall
              487 Alexander Street @ Jackson Street
              Vancouver
    SPEAKERS:
               --DR. ETHAN A. NADELMANN Executive Director, Drug Policy
               Alliance; New York, USA
               --SENATOR PIERRE CLAUDE NOLIN, Senate of Canada; Ottawa,
               Canada
               --LIZ EVANS Executive Director, Portland Hotel Society;
               Vancouver, Canada
               -- DONALD MACPHERSON Co-founder, Canadian Drug Policy
               Consortium; Vancouver, Canada
               --SHARON MESSAGE President, Vancouver Area Network of
               Drug Users; Vancouver, Canada
               --TARA LYONS Executive Director, Canadian Students for
               Sensible Drug Policy; Ottawa, Canada
               --GILLIAN MAXWELL Project Director, Keeping the Door
               Open Society, Vancouver, Canada


    
</pre>
<p>SafeGames 2010 (<a href="http://www.safegames2010.com">www.safegames2010.com</a>), a consortium of organisations led by Keeping the Door Open Society (<a href="http://www.keepingthedooropen.com">www.keepingthedooropen.com</a>), working to ensure that <span class="xn-location">Vancouver</span> residents and international visitors celebrate safely during the Winter Olympics, is hosting a public dialogue on Vancouver's innovative response to the complex issue of drug use this <span class="xn-chron">Friday, February 19th</span>, from 7 - <span class="xn-chron">9 pm</span> at the Japanese Language Hall at 487 <span class="xn-person">Alexander Street</span>, <span class="xn-location">Vancouver</span> BC.</p>
<p/>
<p>US based SafeGames' founder <span class="xn-person">Luciano Colonna</span> said, "In light of the SafeGames mission, we have organised a panel of experts who will discuss the Canadian Government's recent announcement that it will continue its efforts to close down Insite (<a href="http://www.communityinsite.ca">www.communityinsite.ca</a>) North America's only legal safe injection site. Closing down Insite would only add to the problems of a community impacted by high rates of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and fatal overdose."</p>
<p/>
<p><span class="xn-person">Gillian Maxwell</span> of 'Keeping the Door Open Society' commented: "Insite is a safe, health-focused facility where people can go to inject drugs and connect to health care services - from primary care to treat disease and infection, to addiction counselling and treatment."</p>
<p/>
<p><span class="xn-person">Dr. Ethan Nadelmann</span>, Executive Director of the New York based Drug Policy Alliance added "Insite is now the gold standard of public health responses to the issue of drug use. As one of Canada's most important public health innovations, it is important to share its mission, vision, and values with the world."</p>
<p/>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<pre>
    
    Contact:
    Evolutionary Media Group
    Alanna Navitski
    [phone]
    [email protected]




    

For further information: Jennifer Gross, [email protected], or Alanna Navitski, [email protected], [phone], both of Evolutionary Media Group for SafeGames 2010; or Luciano Colonna, [phone], [email protected], or Gillian Maxwell, [phone], [email protected], both of SafeGames 2010 Web Site: http://www.safegames2010.com http://www.communityinsite.ca http://www.keepingthedooropen.com