Supervised Consumption Sites help reduce opiod related deaths, says the region's Associate Medical Officer of Health.
In a new column, Dr. Lisa Simon comes out in favour of Supervised Consumption Sites, saying that they decrease deaths and hospital visits due to overdose emergencies, and reduce unsafe injection practices like needle sharing that can lead to the transmission of diseases such as Hepatitis C and HIV.
There are many SCS’s currently operating across Ontario, notes Simon. “Experience so far suggests that they have reversed a large number of overdoses, have likely contributed to reduced disease transmission, and have helped many clients access health and social services,” she says.
The persistent crisis of opioid overdose in Simcoe Muskoka and Canada demands response on many fronts, she adds.
Supervised consumption sites (SCS) are where health professionals are present during drug use and can respond to and reverse any overdoses.
“In our area, the Gilbert Centre, the Canadian Mental Health Association – Simcoe Branch, and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit are leading an application for a supervised consumption site in Barrie,” writes Simon. “Over the next several months (the Health Unit) will be consulting with Barrie community members and stakeholders to get feedback on an SCS.”
The proposed SCS is an important part of a community harm reduction approach within the Simcoe Muskoka Opioid Strategy (SMOS), a large partnership formed in 2017 to address the growing opioid crisis in a comprehensive, coordinated way.
As part of the SCS consultations, the public is invited to drop into an open house at Barrie City Hall rotunda on March 20 from 4–8 p.m. to learn more about an SCS. People living, working or going to school in Barrie can also take part in a survey through the health unit website that is open from February 19 to March 25.
A separate survey will also be conducted with people with lived experience of opioid use.
