Southwestern Public Health has commissioned a feasibility study to look into Consumption and Treatment Services In area.
The study will determine the need, support and feasibility of safe consumption sites such as consumption and treatment services in the health unit area. The area covered by the health unit is St. Thomas, Elgin County and Oxford County.
The federal government states that essential services for consumption and treatment services include a supervised consumption zone, onsite or defined pathways to addiction treatment, primary care, mental health and social support and harm reduction services.
There should also be distribution and disposal sites for harm reduction supplies and supplies of naloxone and oxygen, which Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) already provides. SWPH also has a community drug strategy for Elgin and Oxford counties with a variety of components and approaches to address drugs including opioids.
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Dr. Ninh Tran, SWPH’s medical officer of health, says the issue of overdose and opioid-related deaths is not going away.
“Similar to Ontario and many jurisdictions across North America, we are facing an opioid overdose and drug toxicity crisis in southwestern public health,” Tran told Global News.
Public data shows that 90 opioid-related deaths occurred in SWPH’s area in 2021 and 2022 combined. That’s a sharp increase from the 44 opioid-related deaths in 2019 and 2020 combined.
In addition, local health officials say the rate of opioid-related deaths in SWPH is slightly higher than in the rest of the province.
Tran says other communities have explored or currently offer consumption and treatment services, and the study is the first step in determining the value of such a service.
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London, Ontario, currently has a temporary monitored consumption site operating out of a trailer at 446 York St.
The Regional HIV/AIDS Connection says the permanent CarePoint consumption and treatment service is expected to begin by the end of February at the same location where the trailer was.
As for the focus of the SWPH study, Tran says the emphasis will be on three main areas: if the service will be used; If there is general support in the community for it; And what will the service look like?
“It’s absolutely vital for us to explore,” Tran says. “We really have to look at what the community wants, including the lived experience.”
SWPH has constituted an External Advisory Committee to consult local data from various sectors. People who will be consulted will include emergency services, healthcare providers, people with substance abuse experience, and community agencies. As well as consultations, focus groups have been formed with local community partners.
“Ultimately, we want to find something through this process that is actionable and helps address this crisis,” Tran says.
A survey will also be available on SWPH’s website for residents of St. Thomas, Elgin County and Oxford County later this month to share their opinions.
Health officials say they hope to have all the information recorded by March, with a report to be published later this year.
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