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Region approves supervised injection sites, Cambridge immediately bans them.
#46
Holy mis-information Batman.

These links have lots of background information that address many of the questions and concerns:
https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/healt...vices.aspx
https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/healt...nswers.pdf

There was no funding to get cut locally; the proposed sites had not been finalized locally, had not yet been granted an exemption/operating license federally, and no funding had been allocated by the province. The exemption to open a site comes from the feds, the funding to operate the sites was expected to come from the province (although technically the funding can come from anywhere). In fact, now that the region has established need locally via the first part of their study, anyone with the financial means and a location that meets the basic criteria could take that study and apply for an SCS exemption and more than likely get it.

SCS have more wrap around services to help people access dependency treatment and counselling for substance use and access other primary health care and social services than an OPS.
SCS are more permanent and designed to help break the cycle of addiction; OPS are meant as a stop gap to prevent deaths until an SCS is up and running.

All the research comes to the same conclusions SCS:
-reduce public drug use
-reduce needle litter
-reduce spread of infectious diseases
-do not increase crime or drug activity in surrounding neighbourhoods (Vancouver has actually seen a decrease in vehicle break-ins and theft)
-are more likely to result in addiction treatment
-save taxpayers money (in the long term), and oh yeah,
they save lives.

Our community may not want to admit it, but we already have a problem locally. Doing nothing isn't going to make the problem go away. Do something different than the status quo, especially something rooted in evidence, is going to make a difference. Without SCS, needle litter will remain a problem and public and private spaces will continue to be used as injection sites, people will continue to die (Vancouver's InSite facility has never had an overdose death in 15 years with 275,000 visits annually now).

In 2017, 85 people died of opioid related drug overdoses in Waterloo Region; that's an average of 1 every 4 days and the victims come from all walks of life. For reference, the average number of fatalities on regional roads from 2012-2016 was 8.8 per year. If ~2 people a week were dying in motor vehicle crashes locally you can be the community would be mobilized and engaged at finding a solution, but the stigma around people who use drugs is holding us back from saving lives.

Using an SCS is really not that different than consuming alcohol at a bar; you use a controlled substance under professional supervision. The difference is that nobody walking down the street is going say "oh look, a new SCS opened, I think I'll try that today" - SCS do not lead to increased first-time drug use. Another difference is that a drunk is much more of a danger to others (drinking and driving, fighting, etc.) than an user of opiates.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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#47
(08-14-2018, 08:53 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Holy mis-information Batman.

These links have lots of background information that address many of the questions and concerns:
https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/healt...vices.aspx
https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/healt...nswers.pdf

There was no funding to get cut locally; the proposed sites had not been finalized locally, had not yet been granted an exemption/operating license federally, and no funding had been allocated by the province. The exemption to open a site comes from the feds, the funding to operate the sites was expected to come from the province (although technically the funding can come from anywhere). In fact, now that the region has established need locally via the first part of their study, anyone with the financial means and a location that meets the basic criteria could take that study and apply for an SCS exemption and more than likely get it.

SCS have more wrap around services to help people access dependency treatment and counselling for substance use and access other primary health care and social services than an OPS.
SCS are more permanent and designed to help break the cycle of addiction; OPS are meant as a stop gap to prevent deaths until an SCS is up and running.

All the research comes to the same conclusions SCS:
-reduce public drug use
-reduce needle litter
-reduce spread of infectious diseases
-do not increase crime or drug activity in surrounding neighbourhoods (Vancouver has actually seen a decrease in vehicle break-ins and theft)
-are more likely to result in addiction treatment
-save taxpayers money (in the long term), and oh yeah,
they save lives.

Our community may not want to admit it, but we already have a problem locally. Doing nothing isn't going to make the problem go away. Do something different than the status quo, especially something rooted in evidence, is going to make a difference. Without SCS, needle litter will remain a problem and public and private spaces will continue to be used as injection sites, people will continue to die (Vancouver's InSite facility has never had an overdose death in 15 years with 275,000 visits annually now).

In 2017, 85 people died of opioid related drug overdoses in Waterloo Region; that's an average of 1 every 4 days and the victims come from all walks of life. For reference, the average number of fatalities on regional roads from 2012-2016 was 8.8 per year. If ~2 people a week were dying in motor vehicle crashes locally you can be the community would be mobilized and engaged at finding a solution, but the stigma around people who use drugs is holding us back from saving lives.

Using an SCS is really not that different than consuming alcohol at a bar; you use a controlled substance under professional supervision. The difference is that nobody walking down the street is going say "oh look, a new SCS opened, I think I'll try that today" - SCS do not lead to increased first-time drug use. Another difference is that a drunk is much more of a danger to others (drinking and driving, fighting, etc.) than an user of opiates.
In case you were wondering I totally agree. I am disappointed to hear the region is spending more time on consultation. I think Berry Vrbanovic spoke against some of the talk around the horseshoe coming from many of the Cambridge Councillors who basically were asking for the whole thing to get shut down. Ken Seiling put forward the motion to defer and I imagine that is partially because he didn't want to see it defeated. The reason for the deferral was to see the Provinces review, but honestly. It's because Doug Craig and Cambridge Council is saying that it shouldn't be in Galt, where it is actually needed and pushing open a site in Kitchener only would lead to the sort of stuff that people accuse SCS's of. Basically anyone who has issues would be forced to go to DTK to get help and that would over run any centre built there pretty quickly.
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#48
(08-14-2018, 08:53 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: ...Using an SCS is really not that different than consuming alcohol at a bar; you use a controlled substance under professional supervision. The difference is that nobody walking down the street is going say "oh look, a new SCS opened, I think I'll try that today" - SCS do not lead to increased first-time drug use. Another difference is that a drunk is much more of a danger to others (drinking and driving, fighting, etc.) than an user of opiates.

I think a pretty good differentiation could be made that most of the "controlled substance" being used is either a) obtained illegally (crime), or b) an illegal substance (crime). 

That may be the issue most people have.
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#49
SIS is officially on hold until the region hears more from the province.

https://www.therecord.com/news-story/881...ion-sites/
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#50
I wonder if Working Centre, or Sanguen, or others might be so bold as to set up an unsanctioned SIS? That's what happened in Ottawa prior to the opening of sanctioned sites last year. They operated for some time and were not shut down by the police, despite some community complaints.
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#51
(08-15-2018, 07:24 PM)embe Wrote: I think a pretty good differentiation could be made that most of the "controlled substance" being used is either a) obtained illegally (crime), or b) an illegal substance (crime). 

That may be the issue most people have.

The reality is that "other people" are using those controlled substances. And dying doing so. Some of us think that we should do something about this problem.
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#52
(08-15-2018, 07:47 PM)panamaniac Wrote: I wonder if Working Centre, or Sanguen, or others might be so bold as to set up an unsanctioned SIS?  That's what happened in Ottawa prior to the opening of sanctioned sites last year.  They operated for some time and were not shut down by the police, despite some community complaints.

This would be really good... I hope any of those groups step up and do it.
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#53
Also keep in mind the SCS/OPS are just one aspect of beginning to deal with the growing crisis.

The region, and a tonne of community agencies, are working collaboratively in other ways that are not affected by this recent decision.

The approach is pillared (Prevention, Harm Reduction, Recovery & Rehabilitation, Enforcement & Justice, Integration) across sectors (social services, housing, employment, city, region, province, federal, private sector, education, justice, enforcement, community safety, private sector, NGO, health, mental health, etc.).

The result was an opioid response plan that is being prioritized and implemented.

The recent set of videos explains some of this approach.

Even more broadly there is the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy (WRIDS), which looks at all types of substance use (not just opioids), using a similar comprehensive, pillared approach.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.
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#54
(08-16-2018, 10:44 PM)Pheidippides Wrote: Also keep in mind the SCS/OPS are just one aspect of beginning to deal with the growing crisis.

The region, and a tonne of community agencies, are working collaboratively in other ways that are not affected by this recent decision.

The approach is pillared (Prevention, Harm Reduction, Recovery & Rehabilitation, Enforcement & Justice, Integration) across sectors (social services, housing, employment, city, region, province, federal, private sector, education, justice, enforcement, community safety, private sector, NGO, health, mental health, etc.).

The result was an opioid response plan that is being prioritized and implemented.

The recent set of videos explains some of this approach.

Even more broadly there is the Waterloo Region Integrated Drugs Strategy (WRIDS), which looks at all types of substance use (not just opioids), using a similar comprehensive, pillared approach.

thanks for a great summary!
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#55
Waterloo Region not part of province’s initial list of overdose prevention sites
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#56
(03-30-2019, 01:50 PM)Bob_McBob Wrote: Waterloo Region not part of province’s initial list of overdose prevention sites

How does this make sense? Do they think we don't need one because we're not getting a cannabis store, either?
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#57
The safe consumption site that was approved, then disapproved, is now on track to be approved again.

Safe consumption site debate: Mayor, councillor will now back Duke St. location

I don't know how to block quote here, so I'll just link the article.

I want to believe thus isn't a ploy to dissuade protest at city council. The mayor and Councillor Marsh could support the measure and it still be voted down if there's some sort of vote swapping going on behind the curtain, but their comments seem more or less genuine.

Is anyone planning to go to the council meeting on this today?
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