Opioid court idea

The city of Buffalo is touting a new experimental opioid intervention program as the first of it’s kind in the U.S. but here in Hamilton, a similar but more detailed program has been operating under the radar for four years.

Last year the city of Buffalo reported 300 opioid-related deaths. As a result, a pilot program launched in May has addicts volunteer to speak with a judge daily and to accept an 8pm curfew for a month in order to stay clean.

While the initiative is gaining recognition on both sides of the border, here in Hamilton there’s a far more comprehensive program available that has several differences, including the fact that they’re dealing with all drug addiction, not just opioids, and instead of a judge, it’s a trained addiction councillor.

So far, only 6 people have graduated from the program. One reason could be the fact that no one, including other addiction councillors, knows this program exists.

The staff at Mission Services believe this method is a long-term solution to fight the addiction problems faced in Hamilton. In terms of opioids, participants are also trained on how to use Naloxone packs in case they run into someone who’s overdosed.