By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Coalition working to bring Supervised Consumption Services to Lethbridge

Jun 22, 2017 | 3:15 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Increasing numbers of drug overdose deaths in Alberta, and specifically the south zone of our province, has prompted a local coalition to begin the process of applying to the federal government for a Supervised Consumption Services site.

“We are losing more people currently to overdose fatalities then we ever did at the height of the HIV epidemic,” stated Jill Manning, managing director at ARCHES (AIDS Outreach Community Harm Reduction Education Support) in Lethbridge.

She explained that in 2016, Alberta lost an average of one person everyday to overdose, adding that the problem is only getting worse.

“The results for the first quarter of 2017 reflect that our numbers are higher for that period than they were for the same period in 2016. If that continues, as we expect that it will, we’ll be at rates of losing two or more people a day.”

While reducing overdose deaths is the most obvious reason for a centre in Lethbridge – which would offer supervision and medical support for individuals who supply their own drugs – Manning noted that it also gives drug users support in dealing with their addiction.

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“What [the centres] are is an entry point to services, so it allows people to have an access to services that they otherwise probably would not make connections with,” Manning explained. “So, for example, things like housing services, addictions counselling, other just general health care and mental health care.

“This service exists along a spectrum, so it exists in partnership with other services and supports, things like prevention and early intervention, rehabilitation treatment, all of those exist together, this is only one aspect of that,” she continued.

Manning also noted that supervised consumption centres have been shown to reduce public drug use, reduce needle and drug debris in public places – namely parks and alleyways – and reduce the strain on the health care system and emergency responders.

As for the cost analysis, one of Manning’s colleagues at ARCHES, Stacey Bourque, pointed out that the annual $1.5-million cost of operating a Supervised Consumption Services site, is still less than what taxpayers are currently on the hook for.

“Collectively it’s quite expensive, it’s millions of dollars a year here in the south that we spend on new HIV infections, new Hepatitis C infections – and the south does have the highest rate of Hep C infections in the province – emergency room visits, hospitalizations and stays for infections and those kinds of things that have progressed,” said Bourque. “For every dollar that’s invested in supervised consumption services, it saves $5 in emergency services and health care costs.”

The process of getting to this point has involved about six months of study, including interviews with 207 local drug users, and a trip to Europe, in which a delegation toured 10 facilities in 10 cities across four countries. It was noted that such facilities have been common place in many European cities since the 1980’s.

As for the coalition mentioned earlier, the Lethbridge Executive Leaders Coalition on Opioid Use consists of 16 community organizations.

A prominent member is the Lethbridge Police Service, and Insp. Tom Ashcroft explained why.

“We see it as a way to mitigate some of the behaviours that we’ve been having in the community for the last few years, specifically some of the disturbances and the anti-social behaviour that we’re seeing in public, drug consumption in public, needle debris, that kind of stuff. We think this will mitigate that quite a bit,” said Ashcroft.

“Right now, people are consuming in public, this isn’t a situation where we’re going to be creating something, it’s occurring right now in the city as we speak, and probably in a public place,” continued Ashcroft. “There’s people overdosing on a regular basis, there’s people dying on a regular basis.”

Fire/EMS Chief, Richard Hildebrand, also made a point of throwing his support behind the initiative, saying the service is constantly tasked with responding to overdose calls, something that takes a toll on those under his command.

They’re also responsible for dealing with the drug and needle debris that has become more of a problem in Lethbridge in recent years.

“It’s nearly a daily basis, it’s very, very routine, happens a number of times every week for sure,” said Hildebrand of calls to clean-up around the city. “It can happen in a number of different places, from under bridges, to in the parks, to on the streets, and all of our residential neighbourhoods as well.”

The next step for the coalition before an application is sent to the federal government on July 31, is to gain community feedback. Below is a list of the community discussion sessions throughout the city. You are asked to pre-register, as space at each session will be limited to 20 people, and you can do so at scs@lethbridgearches.com. At this time, a site has yet to be selected.

• Tuesday, July 4, 6-8 p.m. at Crossings Library Branch
• Wednesday, July 5, 1-3 p.m. at Lethbridge College (Sunflower Room)
• Thursday, July 6, 9-11 a.m. at Alberta Health Services (Lethbridge Centre)
• Monday, July 10, 9-11 a.m. at City Hall (Culver Room)
• Wednesday, July 12, 6-8 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club, 1405-8 Avenue N.
• Thursday, July 13, 1-3 p.m. at Alberta Health Services (Lethbridge Centre)
• Monday, July 17, 1-3 p.m. at Crossings Library Branch
• Wednesday, July 19, 9-11 a.m. at Lethbridge College (Sunflower Room)
• Thursday, July 20, 6-8 p.m. at Alberta Health Services (Lethbridge Centre)