Rollins seeks to open door to supervised consumption site

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This article was published 27/01/2021 (1331 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A councillor is pushing the City of Winnipeg to study all options in the potential creation of a supervised consumption site, despite the province’s refusal to back such centres.

Coun. Sherri Rollins raised a motion Thursday, calling for the city to explore funding, partnership and implementation alternatives to establish “a low-barrier, supervised drug consumption site.”

Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said she hopes the Manitoba government will follow the lead of other provinces and support one or more such centres, also known as safe consumption or safe injection sites.

In the meantime, she said the surge in substance abuse, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, requires council to take immediate action.

“I believe safe consumption, supervised consumption saves lives… When you can disrupt overdoses, you’re saving lives,” said Rollins, chairwoman of the protection and community services committee.

At supervised consumption sites, people can consume illegal drugs with medical supervision. As of 2020, 39 such sites were operating in Canada, including facilities in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa.

According to Health Canada, the sites save lives by preventing accidental overdoses and helping connect users to social services, while also reducing public drug use, discarded drug equipment and the spread of infectious diseases.

Such sites dealt with 15,000 overdoses and drug-related medical emergencies across the country between 2017 and 2019, with no fatalities, according to Health Canada.

The Manitoba government has so far rejected calls to add safe consumption sites — at times over concerns they could attract crime.

Calgary police once linked increases in drug-related activity, violence and vehicle crimes in 2018 to the Alberta city’s safe injection site; health experts credited the centre with preventing hundreds of overdoses during the same period.

On Thursday, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said his government has focused on other mental health and addictions initiatives, which he deems a higher priority than a safe consumption site.

“We have been of the view (those sites) would be a lower priority investment than the tens of millions that we’re investing in other preventative measures,” he said.

By contrast, Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew welcomed the city council attempt to address rising drug use, and urged the province to show similar “leadership.”

“The evidence shows… that harm reduction works, and a safe consumption site could be a part of a good solution to help our less fortunate relatives through this difficult time,” said Kinew.

The recent increase in used drug needles discarded in Winnipeg Transit shelters underlines a clear need to take action, advocates said. Forty-seven used needles were recently found during a single shelter cleanup at River Avenue and Osborne Street, said James Van Gerwen, executive vice-president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505.

“If there was a safe consumption site, hopefully (those leaving the needles) would move out of bus shelters… Our shelter cleaners are overwhelmed right now,” said Van Gerwen.

Rollins said her motion will determine if the city can partner with First Nations and all other governments to try to get a supervised consumption site established.

“This motion is to… ask everyone (to contribute),” she said.

In fall 2018, the federal government announced Ottawa would allow municipalities and non-profit organizations to apply for exemptions from provincial rules barring safe consumption sites.

On Thursday, Mayor Brian Bowman said he wouldn’t oppose the creation of a safe consumption site in Winnipeg, “If the science and data supports it.”

However, he stressed having Winnipeg solely create or fund one isn’t being contemplated, at this point. “I keep in mind that health is a provincial jurisdiction.”

The mayor suggested the province is currently rejecting the sites “through a political partisan lens catering to one’s base” and urged it to focus on research instead.

Couns. Scott Gillingham (St. James) and Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) echoed the mayor’s view the province should lead the way on any potential safe consumption site.

“I really don’t support this sort of mission creep to get into mental health (and addictions) services,” said Browaty.

Rollins’ motion is slated to be referred to the protection and community services committee next month.

— with files from Larry Kusch

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga