By Ian Holmes

Safe injection drug site in Nanaimo being discussed

Nov 16, 2016 | 3:38 PM

NANAIMO — A safe injection drug site could be established in Nanaimo, according to the medical health officer for central Vancouver Island.

Dr. Paul Hasselback strongly endorses the harm reduction strategy. He stresses that the process of possibly setting up a safe drug injection service in Nanaimo is in the early stages.

“We’re having conversations at the city level and that will continue over the next few months, that will be a transparent process, it’s just starting at this point in time,” said Hasselback.

Statistics released by the BC Coroners Service on Wednesday show that 20 of 23 drug overdose deaths in Nanaimo this year through the end of October had links to fentanyl. The number of deaths year-to-date in 2016 is the most since 2007. There were only 28 deaths coming between 2007 and 2012, according to the Coroner. Fentanyl has been tied to about 60 per cent of the 622 overdose deaths in B.C. so far this year, according to the Coroners Service.

Speaking at a public health forum held in response to the rising number of overdose deaths in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island regional coroner Matt Brown says their data tracking is being taken into consideration.

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“To know where these deaths are occurring, could it have an impact or influence on things such as supervised injection sites? That’s a possibility. That’s a good example of how our data is used,” said Brown.

Hasselback says the need for a supervised safe injection drug site in Nanaimo was raised during the Tuesday night forum. He says the approach has proven to be successful in Vancouver.

“To provide a safer environment for the consumption of drugs, one will prevent that fatality from happening, but it also is one of the first steps to establishing a therapeutic relationship that perhaps can lead to the return of a normal life.”

According to Island Health, Nanaimo Hospital’s emergency room will see about 500 non-fatal drug overdoses this year.

Currently there are only two supervised safe injection sites in Canada, both in Vancouver. Victoria is among several Canadian cities trying to setup the controversial service.

The province has called on the federal government to repeal or amend a law requiring cities to meet 26 criteria before applying to open a supervised consumption site, and Health Minister Jane Philpott has said her department will review it.

Hasselback says local support can help push the process forward.

“The community needs to speak up that they would like to see it happen.”

Request for comment on the matter from the city of Nanaimo has not yet been answered.

With Files from Camile Baines – Canadian Press