Inhalation drug users are contained to a fenced outdoor portion of the CMHA's new location at 250 Albert St. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

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NANAIMO — A newly opened enhanced venue for drug users to safely consume led to a sharp increase in clients taking advantage of the service.

Inhalation users represents more than 80 per cent of the roughly 700 weekly clients at the Canadian Mental Health Association’s facility on Albert at Dunsmuir St., according to mid-Island CMHA executive director Jason Harrison.

The agency’s nearby former Wesley St. location only served injection clients, representing the vast minority of illicit drug users.

“It’s something that we knew for years was needed in our community and we weren’t able to deliver it in our previous location due to space constraints,” Harrison told NanaimoNewsNOW.

The CMHA owned and operated site at 250 Albert St. opened in early December, staffed by at least four employees at all times with help from peer workers, Harrison said.

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He said their non-profit agency is now equipped to safely serve more people and direct them to a range of in-house and community based resources.

Typically between 80 and 100 drug users visit their location daily, which is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“The numbers we are seeing of people that are using definitely confirms the need.,” Harrison said. “I think there’s still lots of work that needs to be done in reaching people who are using alone and not coming out to services like this.”

Seventy-nine percent of illicit drug deaths across the province last year occurred in residential settings, according to the BC Coroners Service (BCCS).

Twelve tainted drug deaths in Nanaimo this past January represented the highest number compared to any other Vancouver Island community, according to BCCS data released this week.

Expanded service delivery at the new Nanaimo overdose prevention site includes significantly boosted rapid drug testing capacity.

Harrison said a larger location and more staff trained to test drugs allows anybody in the community to get results typically in only a few minutes.

“Generally five or 10 minutes, but people can also drop things off and we can email them back, text them back results as well.”

Drug testing was only available two days a week at the CMHA’s previous location.

Harrison noted they have seen members of the Nanaimo Area Network of Drug Users take advantage of their services.

NANDU, a peer-led initiative, provided supervised harm reduction services at a private lot on Nicol St. for nearly a year until closing down last month prior to its lease expiring at the end of February.

Island Health intends to add a variety of community resource staff to work inside the CMHA to complement the resources offered there.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes