Pubdate: Mon, 20 Jun 2016
Source: Metro (Ottawa, CN ON)
Copyright: 2016 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Ottawa
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4032
Author: Lucy Scholey
Page: 4

INJECTION SITES MUST BE SPREAD AROUND: FLEURY

Councillor ready for site but wants more than one

An Ottawa councillor says he welcomes a supervised injection site
downtown - but only if there are similar services across the city.

On Monday, Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury and five other
councillors on the board of health will debate a staff report that
recommends opening a supervised injection site in the city.

Given that the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre has already
consulted on its plan to provide such a service, a supervised
injection site will likely go in his ward.

"I can support a model that is holistic, that makes sense, that
supports a drug user in their community, and if that means they're in
my community, for sure," said Fleury.

"But I don't want drug users from across the city to come to our
location."

In the report, medical officer of health Dr. Isra Levy says supervised
injection sites are an "effective, well-researched and evidence-based
treatment option that have a place in any comprehensive approach to
working with people who inject drugs."

Apart from introducing the service, he's recommending the city expand
on existing harm reduction programs and hold public consultations in
the late summer and fall.

According to the report, the Ottawa Public Health (OPH) mobile van
unit responded to more than 900 drug-related calls in Rideau-Vanier in
2015. That's almost one-third of all calls.

But it's not the only ward that has seen overdose issues. OPH
responded to a call in every ward at least once last year. Somerset
and River wards each recorded over 400 visits.

Mayor Jim Watson has long maintained that he would rather see the
focus on addiction treatment, rather than introducing a supervised
injection site in Ottawa.

Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleau has also expressed opposition to
the model and said he has yet to be presented with a plan that would
address public safety concerns about introducing such a site to the
neighbourhood.

Vancouver was the first North American city to open a
government-approved supervised injection site in 2003. Vancouver
Coastal Health recently announced a plan to open five more.

Meanwhile, the Toronto and Ottawa Supervised Consumption Assessment
study recommends two injection sites in the city.

- - with files from Matt Kieltyka

- -----------------------------------------------------------------

[sidebar]

The Numbers

Ottawa's drug use breakdown, according to the report:

* 70 per cent of people who inject drugs have hepatitis C, compared to
0.35 per cent of the general population.

* 10 per cent of injection drug users are HIV positive, compared to
0.71 per cent of the general population.

* According to the 2014 Harm Reduction Needs Assessment, 25 per cent
of surveyed injection drug users said they always or usually injected
in a public space in the previous six months.

* 74 per cent of the 215 people surveyed said they would use a safe
injection site in Ottawa.

* According to a Forum Research poll, 54 per cent of Ottawa residents
are in favour of a supervised injection site, while 37 per cent are
against the idea.

* In 2014, 13.9 per cent of people who injected drugs said they used a
previously-used syringe.

* 71,000 people in Ottawa have an opioid prescription.

* Not including cannabis, anywhere from 23,600 to 46,900 people in
Ottawa use illicit drugs or opioids for non-medical purposes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt