Prince Edward Island’s top public health official says a supervised injection could save lives amid an alarming surge in fentanyl use on the island, but the province’s plans to create one are still unclear.
Dr. Heather Morrison responded to questions about harm relief and what the government calls an overdose prevention site during a status committee meeting on physical fitness and social progress in the legislature on Wednesday.
Morrison told MPs that illicit drugs are becoming more poisonous and drug-related overdoses continue to rise.
Last year, 40 similar opioid overdoses were recorded on Prince Edward Island, up from 10 in 2019. So in 2023, just over a third of the overdoses Island EMS responded to were similar to fentanyl.
“What we know from over a hundred clinical studies is that an overdose prevention site can reduce mortality and morbidity and save lives,” Morrison told CBC News.
“You can also link other people to treatment, so that more people can access treatment when they use PCS. And then ultimately you can reduce public substance use, and that’s smart for the community. “
But when asked about the province’s plans for a supervised injection site, Morrison said he could not verify the location or what the government’s next steps would be.
The location of a conceivable site has been controversial.
Originally, the facility would be located at 33 Belmont Street in Charlottetown, across from the city’s main food bank. But in the spring election, the progressive conservative candidate in the doleading said he would move elsewhere.
In September, city councilors voted against a planning council advice to temporarily replace the site at 15 Park St. , near the city’s emergency shelter. The province did not appeal the decision.
Opposition MPs told CBC News on Wednesday that the government wants to provide more details about its plans.
“They don’t have the will and they haven’t been educated. They haven’t communicated with Islanders and they don’t have a transparent vision of what we want to keep others safe,” Liberal MP Gord McNeilly said.
“There has been silence from the government. So I’m disappointed and I’m still disappointed. “
The interim leader of the Greens, Karla Bernard, represents the district that includes the two sites proposed in the past for the site. He said it “would make sense” to have the site there, but there are a lot of questions the government wants to answer first. .
“There’s a lot of public participation that wants to be done with intelligent faith. People want to feel heard and that’s not the case,” she said.
“One of my biggest fears is: Is it too late to engage the network in intelligent faith? Is it too late for the network to get to a point where they can settle for this because they see what’s happening in their network?Now and aren’t you satisfied with it?”
Morrison said there is “some confusion” among the public about Prince Edward Island’s supervised injection site and the province’s extension centre, which have also been highly controversial.
She says it’s vital to keep talking to the network about the potential benefits of the site.
“We’ve said that the explanation why we support the creation of an overdose prevention site is because we believe it’s vital and will save lives,” he said. “I think it’s actually vital that the provincial government, the municipal government and the netpaintings in combination to make sure that we take care of all the islanders. “
Pc MP and longtime paramedic Robin Croucher told the committee.
“I’ve responded to personal housing, I’ve responded to park benches, I’ve responded to beaches, I’ve responded to all kinds of drug overdose settings,” he said.
“Being alone is one of. . . The biggest disruptions when a user overdoses, right?Because there is assistance for her and by the time we arrive, it’s already too late. So I think we want an overdose prevention site. “
With the files of Tony Davis
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