Safe injection sites are cost effective, study suggests
U of C researcher’s cost-benefit analysis cites money freed for other health needs
The sole supervised drug-consumption site in Calgary has saved the province more than $2.3 million since its inception and will likely save millions more if it is maintained, a new University of Calgary study found.
Findings were released Thursday as the future of existing sites across Alberta remain unknown under United Conservative leadership. Jason Kenney’s government is set to decide on whether the sites will remain, close or be forced to relocate following the findings of a Ucp-ordered review released in March.
University of Calgary professor Dr. Jennifer Jackson, who conducted the study, said the cost-benefit analysis showed each overdose managed at Calgary’s Safeworks site results in approximately $1,600 in cost savings, totalling $2.3 million from its opening in 2017 to January this year.
Not only does the service save money but it decreases strain on ambulances and emergency rooms.
The study found that staff at Safeworks manage about 98 per cent of overdoses at the site, with only two per cent needing an ambulance or emergency management. That translates to 700 fewer people per year.
“Safeworks is not only benefiting people with addictions issues who use that service,” said Jackson.
“So for any Calgarian out shovelling their driveway who experiences chest pains and needs an ambulance, there are 700 fewer people in line for that ambulance every year because the Safeworks site is able to defer them.”
The two-month study was conducted using publicly available data released by Alberta Health Services and the provincial government. It examined overdose rates and the cost difference between accessing care at the hospital or at the supervised consumption site.
Kassandra Kitz, press secretary to the associate minister of mental health and addiction, said the department will review the study.
“While we appreciate this research, the impact on the community in terms of safety, needle debris and increased crime goes far beyond the cost of ambulance rides and hospital care,” Kitz said in a statement.
“We heard from Albertans during town halls and consultations about the impact these sites have had on their businesses and the community and we take those concerns seriously.”
The Ucp-mandated “socio-economic”
report, released in March, detailed a “system of chaos” related to existing supervised consumption sites across Alberta. It referenced increased needle debris, deteriorating public safety and rising opioid-related death rates in the immediate vicinity of the sites.
The merits of supervised consumption services as a tool for harm reduction were not considered within the scope of the review.
Scientists and academics across the country have since asked the government to retract the report after calling into question its validity, drawing attention to a biased scope of review, unclear data collection and measurement, and other methodological elements.
Kitz said the province has been focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and, consequently, hasn’t made any decisions regarding the future of supervised consumption sites in the province.
Jackson said the COVID -19 pandemic and a significant drop in oil prices can amplify mental health and addictions issues faced by Albertans, which is why it’s crucial the Safeworks site in Alberta’s largest city remains operational.
“We are seeing a lot of stress on all of our public services and I expect the government feels they will need to make some tough decisions, but our research shows that keeping Safeworks is one way to save Albertans money,” she said. “This is an effective way to provide services in terms of cost and impact.”
Her research found that between 10 and 20 per cent of clients at Safeworks don’t consume drugs on site. Instead, they pick up food or inquire about housing, treatment and other social supports.
“Sustaining that service is not only giving people a safe place to consume substances, it is also providing a gateway to, potentially, other aspects of health care and for people to rebuild their lives,” said Jackson.
She said Safeworks is part of a suite of resources available for people struggling with addiction. Focusing solely on sobriety and detox, she said, is not effective. There has to be wraparound support for all aspects of mental health and addiction issues.
This study was released almost a week after the government halted a virtual supervised consumption project run by Alberta Health Services.
That was the latest in a series of decisions by the government to minimize harm reduction services in the province in favour of investments in treatment and recovery.