By Spencer Sterritt

Permanent overdose prevention site now open in Nanaimo

Feb 1, 2017 | 8:42 AM

NANAIMO — The doors have finally opened on Nanaimo’s overdose prevention site.

Island Health confirmed the site at 437 Wesley St. is up and running, which means the pop-up safe injection site in City Hall’s parking lot will close.

Jeremy Kalicum, volunteer coordinator at the site, said both sites will be open for a short time to ease the transition, which he said he was optimistic about.

“Really what’s going to make it or break it is the staff at the new site,” he said. “Making sure that when people come there, they’re comfortable and they don’t feel judged for coming in.”

In discussions about the location of the new facility, it was brought up how popular the pop-up site had become with Nanaimo users.

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Kalicum said their services were used roughly 475 times since it opened Dec. 26 and they saved seven lives from overdoses.

“We started out thinking if we save even one life it’s been worth it and we’ve saved seven times that amount. Talking to the users after they’ve overdosed, they’ve realized this is something we completely need.”

Kalicum said it didn’t make sense to keep the pop-up site open since it’s only a few blocks from the new facility, but he wants to see more safe injection sites around the city.

“One site is great and it’s going to make a big difference, but drug use is spread out in the city,” he said. “We need to be able to bring these services to the people.”

He said he’s heard of discussions about a second site but nothing concrete has been established.

-with files from Dominic Abassi

spencer.sterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit