Brant County Health Unit pushes for safe consumption site as overdoses rise
An overdose alert was issued in Brant County at the same time the public health unit in the area is pushing for a safe consumption site.
Last Tuesday, the Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) said Brantford Police Service has responded to nine suspected opioid-related overdose fatalities this year.
The health unit said most of these fatalities occurred in public settings.
Emergency department visits for opioid overdoses per 100,000 people have outpaced the Ontario rate over the last six years.
“It has consistently been above the provincial average for some time, and our emergency department overdose rate is more than two times the provincial average,” said Dr. Rebecca Comley, the acting medical officer of health.
According to data from the health unit, the rate of opioid-related overdoses in Brant County per 100,000 people was 185.9 in 2022, down slightly from the 204 recorded in 2021.
The Brant County Health Unit and their board of health published a letter one week before the overdose alert, supporting the creation of a safe consumption and treatment site.
“We are certainly trying to get everyone on board, with evidence. There was a myth that they would increase drugs use, and the evidence certainly suggests that that is not the case,” said Comley.
Residents who spoke to CTV News on Tuesday were vocal about the topic of a possible safe consumption and treatment site.
“Having safe sites and accessibility to proper things and clean things would help the issue,” said one resident.
Though some residents said they would rather see the money spent on drug rehabilitation.
Comley said drug rehabilitation would be a part of a possible consumption and treatment site.
“One of the key reasons we are supportive of this initiative is that they help to provide a lot of support and access to services to people who use drugs. That includes access to treatment services but also primary care services as well as addiction and mental health support. Not only that, they can also help reduce the burden on some of the other resources such as emergency services that are particularly strained at this time,” Comley said.
Branford city councillors are divided.
“I don’t agree with it. I don’t think that is the solution. I think a better solution is proper treatment in a residential setting,” said Coun. Greg Martin.
Others said it is worth exploring the option of having a safe consumption site.
“I supported it when it came to the board of health, which I sit on, and I think it's something we should at least explore,” said Counc. John Sless.
Brantford’s mayor said in a statement that he’s hoping to open the conversation up to the community and listen to all perspectives.
“Consumption Treatment Sites (CTS) are controversial, as there are strong arguments on both sides of the debate,” Mayor Kevin Davis said in part.
Davis said it would be “premature” for him to state a firm position on the subject without hearing more from the community “including public health, treatment services, the business community and the public at large.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.