The organization that was set to operate a supervised injection site in Charlottetown says it was “disheartened” and “surprised” to learn the province wouldn’t be continuing the project as planned.
The provincial government said it would pause the creation of a safe injection site and instead prioritize strengthening its existing harm reduction initiatives.
“Unfortunately it does show a lack of courage and commitment to creating services that meet the needs of those vulnerable and complex Islanders,” said Tessa Rogers, harm reduction project manager with PEERS Alliance, the organization that would have operated the site.
Rogers said she’s glad provincial measures like take-home naloxone kits are being expanded, but they aren’t a substitute for an overdose prevention site.
“A lot of folks who didn’t necessarily sign up for the job of responding to opioid overdoses or any type of overdose or medical emergency [are] being put in positions where they feel that they need to,” she said.
What happens at a supervised injection site?
The idea that supervised injection sites are dangerous to the community is a misconception, Rogers said.
People consume substances in public when they don’t have somewhere else to go, she said, and giving them a safe space brings people in from outside.
P.E.I.’s Chief Public Health Officer told MLAs at a legislative committee on Wednesday that a supervised injection site is on hold. But as Sheehan Desjardins reports, some people are wondering why the province has changed its mind.
From March 2020 to August 2024, supervised injection sites across Canada reported zero fatal overdoses, according to the Government of Canada’s supervised consumption site dashboard. That’s despite a reported 43,566 non-fatal overdoses.
“Those were 43,000 successful interventions,” Rogers said. “These were people who weren’t overdosing in general public community. It wasn’t public bathrooms. It wasn’t alone in residences. So people were able to intervene.”
When that intervention can be made by people who are trained and equipped to respond to an overdose situation, it takes away the risk of a general community member needing to respond, Rogers said.
She said safe injection sites also decrease the amount of drug paraphernalia in the community by providing a place to safely exchange things like used needles for sterile equipment.
The sites also serve as a drop-in space where people can get shelter and water, information, resources and services such as substance testing.
What’s next?
While the plan for P.E.I.’s first safe injection site is on pause, the need is growing, Rogers said.
Overdose-related calls to Island EMS have gone up, deaths have increased and the drug supply is “ever so changing,” she said.
For now, Islanders can access the province’s existing harm reduction programs and services. A full list of resources is available on the government of Prince Edward Island’s website.
The National Overdose Response service is also available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
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