Red Deer’s temporary Overdose Prevention Site opened at noon Monday to help save lives in the midst of the opioid crisis.
The program is operating in an ATCO trailer, once used as a temporary supervised drug consumption site in Calgary, that was moved to Safe Harbour in downtown Red Deer.
Operated by Turning Point, the site provides a safe, hygienic space for people to consume previously-obtained drugs while being monitored by someone trained and able to provide immediate life-saving measures as needed.
Sarah Fleck, Turning Point clinical manager, said Red Deer had the highest death rate related to fentanyl overdoses in the most recent two quarters of 2018 and hopefully the site can make a difference.
She said Turning Point’s harm reduction clients have been advocating for the service for a long time.
“They’ve seen their friends die. They’ve responded to their friends overdosing on street corners and in back alleys so this is a crucial service from their perspective and their excited to start utilizing the service,” Fleck said before the site opened Monday.
She said a lot of people use drugs to address their trauma and pain and the site will give them a safe place where they will not feel judged and want to access more services to get better.
“It will give them hope again and that’s what we’re trying to do here,” Fleck said.
See related:
Red Deer’s overdose prevention site is on its way
Red Deer getting temporary supervised consumption site
Poll: Where do you think a permanent overdose prevention site should be located in Red Deer?
Allan Sinclair, senior operating officer for the central part of Alberta Health Services Central Zone, said work continues in search of a permanent location for a supervised consumption site, which is similar to the prevention site but includes wraparound health and social supports.
The temporary site is an opportunity to save lives now, he said.
“This is a problem that is not going away and we need to take action, and take action now,” Sinclair said.
He said the hospital has seen an increase in patients in both its emergency department and intensive care unit as a result of the opioid crisis.
Clients will need to be buzzed into Overdose Prevention Site which has multiple security cameras. A harm reduction specialist will meet with each client before they can use one of four booths available to inject, snort or orally consume their drugs.
Fleck said no needles or debris will be allowed to leave the trailer and studies show that debris will actually decrease in the surrounding area, as well as a drop in petty crime and mischief.
‘To work with the community we’ve also staffed a position that will be responsible for needle debris clean up in the surrounding area that will be responsive to the business owners and community members as we want to be good neighbours. We want this project to be successful not just for the clients, but for the community as a whole.”
Overdose Prevention Site, at 5246 53rd Ave., will operate from 12 to 8 p.m. and will expand to 24 hours a day.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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