Supervised consumption site considered for Elgin or Oxford

The region may soon have a second permanent supervised consumption site to help tackle the addiction crisis.

Southwestern Public Health has launched a feasibility study for one or more such sites in Elgin or Oxford.

Recovering addict, David Wood of St. Thomas, tells CTV News he believes such a facility would help a lot of people.

“For myself personally, I used to be involved in drugs,” Wood said. “I’m 21 years clean, so I know what it’s like to go through that kind of stuff. They actually have this place set up and ready to go, I think it’s a good idea, instead of alleyways and stuff yeah. Yeah, it’s a good idea.”

The study began collecting data in January. Medical officer of health Dr. Ninh Tran said it will consider all logistical factors, along with input from the general public.

“Is there a perceived need by the community, and those experiencing the overdoses? Is there support in our community? And then what are the potential models and logistics that would need to happen for that,” said Dr. Tran.

He said the proposed site would include both consumption services and wrap-around supports.

According to Southwestern Public Health, in the local catchment area there were 43 opioid related deaths in the two year period from May 2017 to June 2019.

Meanwhile, from April 2021 to March 2022, it took just one year to reach the same number of deaths. That’s an opioid related death rate of 20.5 per 100,000 people, and higher than the provincial opioid related death rate of 18.7 per 100,000 people over the same time frame.

Earl Taylor, who chairs the St. Thomas Downtown Development Board, said he supports a supervised consumption site, but he stressed that careful consideration needs to be given as to where it’s located.

“We do have concerns with social issues in our downtown, that this would not be one of the things that we’re looking for,” said Taylor.

The feasibility study for Elgin and Oxford comes as London gets set to open a permanent supervised consumption site in the coming weeks — a facility years in the making, which encountered no small amount of resistance.

London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis said the more support available throughout the region, the better for all affected.

“It comes up time and time again that any of the folks who are coming to London for these services are not from London,” he said. “They are coming here because services are not available in their own community. London can only absorb so much of that pressure. So the more services are decentralized and available closer to home for folks, the better it is for folks to be able to get treatment and seek rehabilitation.”

Data collection for the Southwestern Public Health feasibility study is expected to be completed by early March, with a final report out at the end of April.