Waterloo won’t say no to safe injection site

But city council wants to see evidence of where facilities are most needed

WATERLOO — Waterloo hasn’t ruled out hosting a safe injection site.

But the city doesn’t see itself as the best location after seeing fewer than half the overdose calls of Kitchener or Cambridge.

It would be better to host supervised injections in neighbourhoods with the greatest need, Waterloo council said this week.

“The goal is to save lives,” Mayor Dave Jaworsky said.

Let evidence determine if a Waterloo site would be helpful, he said, rather than debating if Waterloo should or shouldn’t host a site.

“I just want to make sure that we’re saying the right thing,” Coun. Brian Bourke said, after regional controversy erupted over possible locations.

Neighbourhood backlash has exploded while public health authorities ponder up to three regional locations for safe drug injections. That’s after opioidrelated overdose deaths almost doubled to 71 last year.

Users would be allowed to bring drugs and use them in a sterile environment. Staff and equipment would be on hand to oversee drug use and help in case of overdose.

Proponents say this keeps people alive, facilitates treatment, reduces disease, and keeps dirty needles out of public places. Critics see drug havens that enable users and threaten fragile neighbourhoods.

Cambridge has demanded the exclusion of its three downtowns and passed a bylaw to that effect after residents complained.

Kitchener council has demanded that the region’s three cities including Waterloo offer safe injection sites.

Waterloo argues it “is not facing the same degree of challenge as elsewhere” and says safe injections should be hosted within a 10-minute walk of where people use drugs and overdoses are highest. Sites should have transit access, it says.

Sensitive neighbours such as schools, daycares and homes should be consulted.

“This will help to ensure that resources are directed to the populations/communities most in need and where the resources are likely most effective,” states a City of Waterloo report.

If evidence determines Waterloo needs a supervised injection site it “should be scaled to the demonstrated community need.”

By population, Waterloo’s rate of overdose calls fell 62 per cent below Kitchener and Cambridge between 2015 and 2017, ambulance data shows.

It’s estimated that 4,000 regional residents inject drugs and half do it daily. According to a report prepared for Waterloo Region, homelessness is the main reason for public drug use and 86 per cent of residents who inject drugs say they would or might use a safe injection site.

Waterloo regional government is identifying locations for safe injections that may qualify for senior government funding.