Page 48 - Human Rights

Faculty of Nursing
Adult care Nursing Department

A report from the Open Society Institute’s Harm Reduction Development Program has concluded

that attempts by Russia and the Ukraine to reduce drug use by increasing spending on law

enforcement, at the expense of public health policies, were ineffective.

This is particularly serious since “the current epidemic in Russia and Ukraine is unique in that the
majority of infections continue to be linked to injecting drug use”.

Canada: Safe injection location started by nurse despite government opposition

A Canadian nurse started an illegal safe injection site in central Vancouver following numerous

setbacks in the opening of an official site.

For six months, Megan Oleson supervised injections, taught drug users’ safe practices and offered

service referral to users.

During the time she was operating the service, police arrested Megan and colleagues late one
night as they walked home.

According to eyewitnesses, two police officers sprayed Megan and another woman with pepper

spray and beat them so severely that passersby called an ambulance.

Some months later an official safe injection location opened in September 2003.

In 2004 Megan Oleson received the Award for Action on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights presented

by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and the New York-based Human Rights Watch.

A spokeswoman for the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users said, “(Oleson) showed incredible

courage…An RN can behave in a socially responsible manner even when they’re being
persecuted”.

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network commented that Megan Oleson’s “success in mobilizing

and empowering communities in the face of powerful opposition has served to protect and

45 Academic Year 2025/2026