We were joined at our Jun 26th meeting by Stephen Gross from the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre to discuss supervised injection sites.
The issue of supervised injection sites has been a hot topic in the news of KW recently.
Many people do not understand how other people become addicted to drugs. They often mistakenly think that those using drugs lack moral conviction and the willpower to quit. The reality is that drug use is not a moral issue but a health issue and that drug addition is a complex disease and that quitting requires more than good intentions and a strong will. The initial decision to take drugs is voluntary for most people (to deal with pain of either a physical or emotional source), but repeated drug use can lead to brain changes that challenge an addicted person’s self-control and interfere with their ability to resist intense urges to take drugs.
Supervised injection sites are intended to assist those struggling with addiction to help them deal with their issue without killing themselves. An SIS provides a safe place with medical supports and supervision to allow an addict to take their dosage in a controlled setting and to provide extra assistance dealing with their issue when they are ready. The SIS provides the location and the clean supplies for consumption of the drug (brought by the client) in a private setting. Following their dosage, they are observed for a period of time to ensure that they are safe before being allowed to leave the facility.
The need for an SIS is growing with each passing day as the strength of street drugs and the additives in them increases. Increasingly street drugs are cut with Fentanyl to make them stronger resulting in difficulty determining safe dosages. Statistics indicate a growing danger with 38 deaths from overdoses in 2016 increased to 71 in 2017. There has been a 303% increase in opioid overdose calls to Waterloo Region paramedics between 2015 and 2017 along with a 69% increase in opioid related emergency department visits from 2015-16.
The public outcry against SIS is not about the need for such a facility, but more about "not in my backyard". The reality is that street drug use is already happening with great frequency all around our cities and the SIS has the possibility to take it off the streets to make our cities cleaner and safer for all.