Overdose death puts London safe consumption site under further scrutiny

A volunteer picks up discarded needles near London’s safe consumption site on York Street, October 3, 2024 (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)

At least one city councillor has said that she’d like to see the province investigate after a person died following an overdose at London’s safe consumption site Tuesday.

“And maybe it’s something where we want the province to come in and do an investigation,” commented Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson. “I’ve had quite a few people reach out to me, disappointed that our site was not picked up in the closures because of its proximity to Beal and to CCH (secondary schools). And there is a lot of concern about the neighbouring area, and the loitering,” Stevenson explained.

On Wednesday, Martin McIntosh, the executive director of the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC), which operates the Carepoint safe consumption site on York St., confirmed to CTV News that a client died from an overdose which came on while consuming drugs at the facility. Paramedics attempted to save the person, who later died in hospital.

Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service at 446 York St. in London on Aug. 21, 2024. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)

CTV News spoke with a volunteer from the safe consumption site who was cleaning up garbage and discarded needles on neighbouring properties Thursday. The person said there’s always a risk in using street drugs. “There’s always something going around. I mean, hard drugs are the way that they are. It can be mixed with anything, so it’s always a risky thing to be smoking. Depends on who’s doing what,” said the volunteer.

Middlesex London Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Joanne Kearon, said that harm reduction is just one part of an overall strategy to tackle substance abuse.

“It works together with enforcement, with treatment, with prevention. They all work together. The amount of referrals and connections to care that people receive through harm reduction services is a key way to get people into treatment,” she said.

The death comes as safe consumption sites are thrust into the spotlight. The provincial government is looking to close ten sites across the province as it moves toward a model that focuses on treatment.

When asked for an interview to comment on the London death, a spokesperson for the Ontario Minister of Health provided the following statement to CTV News:

“Communities, parents and families across Ontario have made it clear that the presence of drug consumption sites are leading to serious safety problems. We agree. That is why our government is taking action to protect the public. We are proposing legislation that, if passed, will increase community safety and security around all sites. This includes mandating additional measures to enhance compliance, enforcement, and oversight. More details about the proposed legislation can be found here.

To be clear, HART Hubs are focused on providing access to care and treatment will not offer “safer” supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.

We will work with municipalities individually on the future of CTS sites, ensuring we are responding to the community safety needs of the communities they serve.”

- Hannah Jensen, Director of Communications, Office of the Hon. Sylvia Jones - Deputy Premier and Minister of Health

In an email to CTV News, Dr. Gillian Kolla, a Collaborating Scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, said the following regarding the London overdose death at the safe consumption site:

“…we don’t expect absolute perfection from other parts of the healthcare system. We don’t expect emergency departments to save every single person who walks in their doors.”

“As someone who has worked in a supervised consumption site, there are frequently very complex overdoses that occur, and this is happening more frequently as the toxic mix of unregulated fentanyl gets more worse. This emphasizes the need for easily-accessible harm reduction services.”

RHAC said the following in a statement late on Thursday afternoon:

"This tragedy highlights the ongoing risk posed by the increasingly toxic drug supply. Despite the best medical supports available, contaminated substances are taking lives, which reinforces the critical importance of harm reduction services. We remain unwavering in our commitment to supporting Londoners who use substances. Since beginning operations in 2018, we have helped reverse more than 1,000 overdoses, saving lives and reducing harm. Without access to harm reduction services, such as Carepoint, the toll of the toxic drug crisis on our community would be far greater."

Executive Director, Martin McIntosh is expected to provide further comment on Friday morning.

London Police has confirmed its major crimes section is investigating the death, along with the office of the Chief Coroner.