Health officials call for more safe consumption sites in Hamilton

Health officials believe Hamilton is in need of more safe consumption sites to tackle the opioid crisis. An action plan report was presented to the Board of Health on Monday.

St Paul’s Presbyterian Church on James St. South is one of two sites where approved and supervised drug use is available for those in need. According to local activist Kim Ritchie, it will take a lot more facilities to even have a shot to end the opioid crisis.

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“I would like to see them in the majority of the men’s shelters, absolutely. I’d like to see one in more of the women’s shelters as well, and we need to get there. We should have one in each hospital,” Richie said.

Ritchie is a board member of the Student Overdose Prevention and Education Network and says she has lived experience after spending 15 years on the streets, battling addiction.

At the Board of Health meeting on Monday, committee members all voted yes to move forward with an action plan aimed to reduce deaths, and harm and ramping up treatment options tied to the city’s drug crisis. Hamilton’s city council declared a state of emergency on Apr. 12, 2023, over homelessness, opioid addiction, and mental health issues in the city.

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According to local data from Public Health, opioid-related paramedic calls were up at the start of the year compared to 2022. The data also shows a reduction in drug-related deaths.

The action plan outlines goals for the next six months. They include safer use policies, more drug safety inspections, a table of experts, and more safe consumption sites across Hamilton. While the action plan calls for more consumption sites across the city, it also wants to explore the feasibility of mobile sites as well. St Paul’s Presbyterian and the YWCA are sites currently under operation and a third on Barton Street East is awaiting the province’s approval.

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Public Health Manager of Substance Abuse Melissa Biksa says a recommendation was made to open applications for another facility. She said, “We need to address the public stigma associated with substance use in our community. We need as a collective to show results.”

The action plan also called for long-term goals like youth prevention and treatment programs. A ratification vote is expected at an upcoming city council meeting.

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