Science doesn’t support Kenney’s perspective

Re: “Kenney opposes consumption sites.” It is with some dismay that I read about Mr. Kenney’s opposition to supervised consumption services (Lethbridge Herald, March 1). Mr. Kenney’s reasons for his vocal opposition included a preference for prohibition and enhanced law enforcement.

Unfortunately, Mr. Kenney’s perspective is not supported by scientific evidence. There is a growing body of evidence revealing that supervised consumption services have a significant role in protecting the public and enhancing the lives of people who struggle with drug addiction. These services are not a replacement for law enforcement or border security measures, but rather an additional strategy to help people who are caught in the cycle of drug addiction.

Supervised consumption services, also known as drug consumption rooms, exist as part of a continuum of addiction and harm reduction services. These services have been offered for decades in Europe. There are almost 100 of these services in 65 cities internationally. Most recently, Health Canada has approved 23 of these sites to be established here in Canada.

Supervised consumption services have demonstrated several benefits to people who use drugs: improving access to health care, counselling and social services; improving health and personal health practices; reducing the spread of blood borne diseases; reducing bodily harm from using drugs through learning better technique or by encouraging the use of less risky routes of use; decreasing emergency room visits and hospitalizations; enhancing entry into drug treatment programs; and, reducing the number of overdoses that result in death. The scientific evidence of these claims is very well supported.

Drug use is a complex issue that requires a multi-pronged approach to help individuals, families and communities. Supervised consumption services are just one part of a continuum of health and social services required to address the needs of people impacted by drug use.

Prohibition does not reduce drug use or drug availability; rather, it makes the associated social, health and criminal problems worse. Drug use has been around for millennia and it will never disappear from human society, but its negative impacts on individuals and communities can be mitigated, which is what harm reduction is all about.

I am hopeful that as a community we can find ways to mitigate the harmful community effects of drug use while also continuing to help people whose problems have outgrown their capacity to manage them.

Em M. Pijl, PhD, RN

Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences University of Lethbridge