“We are not surprised.”
Bill Cinchlair, CEO of Neberhood Group Community Services, responded to the claims of Toronto Drop-in Network that overdose had increased by about 300 percent as the Ford government had closed nine supervised consumption sites in Toronto.
Sinklair was one of the several advocates who predicted a deteriorating overdose crisis on 1 April on banning consumption sites within 200 meters of schools or 200 meters within 200 meters of the province.
According to Ontario’s chief coroner, however, sites were closed since the deaths related to suspected drug were closed, three months ago.
Toronto data also shows that paramedics are receiving less calls for overdose.
Despite those anomalies, advocates such as Loren Lam argue that closure means that public members may have to respond to overdose conditions more often they may not be equipped to face.
Lam, an organizer with Shelter and Housing Justice Network, argued, “You are the people who are probably riding the transit,” arguments by Lam, an organizer with Shelter and Housing Justice Network. “You are going to respond to overdose to people working in coffee shops, librarian, shopping center employees and I think it puts everyone at risk.”
Nine of the supervised consumption sites were converted into a restrained-based model after the new provincial law.
The Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site next to a childcare center is open after a charter challenge and with the help of private funding from donors.
The site has seen a small growth in use, says Cinclair, but many people struggling with drug addiction are taking it to themselves to consume road medicines in safe ways.
He said, “There is a long-term trend of people to use individual substances and to be separated or used separately, like smoking instead of injections,” he said.
The Health Minister of Ontario told Citynues that the new laws banning sites near schools and child care centers were in response to serious safety concerns raised by the families about the presence of drug injection sites in the communities.
The province says its heart hubs are part of the solution.
“We are investing $ 550 million to create a total of 28 new heart hubs across the province,” the Health Ministry told Citynues, which will provide people facing mental health challenges with 24/7 support to help breaking the drug cycle. “
Sinklair says that when he understands public concerns about the use and safety of drugs in communities, he thinks that it was a wrong outlook to target sites.
“People are worried and upset and worried that they are being threatened by poverty, homeless, from homeless, resources and lack of support, but supervised consumption sites are not causing problems.”
