BC opens six overdose prevention sites despite lack of federal approval

VICTORIA (NEWS 1130) – It appears the province is pushing ahead with supervised injection sites, despite a lack of federal approval, with the opening of seven overdose prevention facilities in Vancouver, Surrey and Victoria amidst an ongoing public health emergency and record number of opioid-related deaths.

Health Minister Terry Lake announced the province is setting up six temporary overdose prevention sites and mobile medical units in so-called overdose hot spots. The sites give people a place to use illicit drugs with trained staff ready to jump in with naloxone at the first sign of an overdose.

“We are seeing an alarming increase in illicit drug overdose deaths and action is required at all levels to saves lives,” Lake says. “The overdose prevention sites will ensure that people have a place where they can be safely monitored and treated immediately if they overdose.”

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Perry Kendall says they believe the sites do not go against the federal Bill C-2, Respect for Communities Act, which creates a long and complicated process to open supervised injection sites, because the sites are temporary and do not offer the same health programs and addictions services.

“A supervised consumption site is a place specifically designed for people to come in, have their injection under medical supervision, to recieve training on safe injection and sterile techniques, to be assessed for any health problems that they have, to be linked with health care and addiction services if they are needed,” he says. “What this is is an emergency measure to try and better connect the people who can deliver naloxone… with the places where people will be injecting.”

The first of three sites in Vancouver opened today at 380 East Hastings Street, the Portland Hotel Society Washington Needle Depot at 177 East Hastings Street and the soon-to-close Drug Users Resource Cente. Several other locations will open on the city’s Downtown Eastside next week.

Mobile units will also be working in the downtown eastside.

Two locations will open in Surrey next week at 13670 94A Avenue and on 135A Street, which has seen an increase in crime and drug use prompting the city and RCMP to increase patrols. These are the same two locations the province has applied for supervised injection sites for.

Victoria and Surrey will each get two sites next week. The Surrey locations will be at places that were previously recommended for supervised injection sites.

“I have recommended that health authorities work to make oversight and reversal of overdose more available as an emergency strategy in locations where we know injections and overdose risk already exist,” says Dr. Perry Kendall.

Kendall says the idea to open such sites began two weeks ago during a meeting of the Joint Task Force on Overdose Response. He says they didn’t feel the need to open overdose prevention sites sooner because health officials thought they were curbing the number of overdose deaths. A preview of November’s overdose statistics, however, showed numbers continue to climb.

The official November statistics will be released next week.

Kendall says they have a committment from the province to fund the sites, but they have no set a specific budget. Instead, health regions will track their spending on a pay-as-you-go system.

The sites will provide clean needles, a service that is already provided through many VCH facilities, needle depots and VANDU.

Vancouver’s mayor says it’s about time the province takes action.

“We are seeing unprecedented tragedy with the overdose crisis and it’s putting extreme pressure on Vancouver first responders and front line workers. These new overdose prevention sites and mobile medic unit will help provide relief that is desperately needed,” Gregor Robertson says.

Last month, Victoria gave $5 million to BC Emergency Health Services to support paramedics and dispatchers, as that month saw the highest number of overdose-related 911 calls ever recorded.

Between January and the end of October 622 died of an overdose, compared to 397 for the same period of 2015. October had 63 deaths, six more than September and just slightly higher than the 61 monthly average.