Owen ready to set up first safe injection site

Owen says he believes the public is ready for a balanced harm reduction strategy.

He says he's not worried about federal Health Minister Anne McLellan' s caveat that all stakeholders should support safe injection sites before they are implemented.

Owen believes he'll be able to convince business and community groups opposed to supervised drug injection sites that they will reduce crime and addiction.

"We'll put it on a short leash. We'll say them, 'look, can we open one for six months,'" says the mayor. "And we'll all assemble in six months and assess it and watch it and if it has to be expanded or reduced or moved or shifted or open different hours, we'll adjust it to make it work."

Owen believes other Lower Mainland cities should now join the safe injection site debate. He says harm reduction strategies are needed across the region.

Owen has championed safe injection sites as part of the city's "Four Pillars Approach" to the city's drug addiction problem.

• LINK: Four Pillars Approach