AIMING TO PREVENT OVERDOSES
Safe consumption site weeks away
Within as little two weeks, a safer option should be available for drug users in Regina.
On Friday, Michael Parker, executive director of the Newo Yotina Friendship Centre, announced his organization had received preliminary approval for an overdose prevention site at the Friendship Centre.
“We initially made application to the provincial government in December and we received a response in January, asking for sort of additional information,” he said.
“As of this week, we've received preliminary approval and we are hoping to start operating the overdose prevention site within hopefully about two weeks.”
While there is some additional work and a final vetting to be done before doors open, a space is nearly ready to start accommodating clients in need of somewhere safe to use.
Once it opens, it will become the second such site in the province, following Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon.
Parker noted the need is great. In 2020, Regina had 111 suspected fatal overdoses out of 1,100 total overdoses.
This year is off to a bad start with the Regina Police Service reporting 28 suspected fatal overdoses out of 310 total overdoses.
(Police-supplied numbers only account for those police, fire or EMS attended, so actual numbers are undoubtedly higher.)
While stigma remains around drug use, Parker is pleased the overdose prevention site has the support of both the City of Regina and the Regina Police Service.
“There's always people who don't want things in their backyard, and so to have support from these key figures within the city, it means a lot,” he said. “We know that folks have our back and we can just focus on what we know needs to happen,” he said.
“The number of deaths has not slowed down in 2021. It's continuing on the same trend, even through COVID, which is a startling increase.”
The site at the corner of Osler Street and 11th Avenue will have capacity for two clients at a time with social distancing measures.
Clients will be watched by staff to ensure help is quickly available in case of overdose, including through the use of NARCAN. It will also allow for conversations so staff — and, through them, clients — can learn about bad batches of drugs before it's too late for some to avoid.
Clients can also access existing Friendship Centre services, including help with housing and mental health.
The program is for adults only and isn't intended for first-time users.
“The purpose is not to encourage use — that's not the point of it,” Parker said. “It's about safety and trying to reduce the harm and potential risk so that people can at some point access the services that they need.”
The site is a temporary one, but Parker would like to see a permanent supervised consumption site in Regina at some point.
He added current funding doesn't allow for hours of operation outside the Friendship's Centre's current 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday hours, but he's hoping for some public and government funding to allow for expansion in the centre's new fiscal year in April.
The centre has committed to tracking usage numbers and, for Parker, proof of success will show through lives saved.
“Longer term, it means those folks whose lives have been saved are able to access the services that they need,” he said.
The purpose is not to encourage use — that's not the point of it. It's about safety and trying to reduce ... harm.