The pressing need for provincial assistance in funding a new detox centre remains paramount as the death toll from drug poisonings continues to surge in Belleville, Ont.
Six additional overdose fatalities have been reported by public health authorities in the past three weeks alone.
The persistent issue of drug overdoses has long plagued Belleville, prompting city officials to intensify efforts in recent weeks to combat the crisis.
Mayor Neil Ellis underscored the severity of the situation, stating, “The drug ‘trank,’ it’s a drug that I think about 33 per cent of the unhoused deaths in the (United States) were because of trank and now it’s here in our community.”
Despite concerted lobbying by the city administration, securing funding from the provincial government to establish a new overdose detox centre with up to 50 beds remains an ongoing challenge. Even with the declaration of a state of emergency, obtaining the necessary funding remains distant, exacerbating the urgency of the situation.
Compounding the issue is the difficulty in identifying a suitable location for the detox centre.
“To do a new build, you’re looking at anywhere from probably a year and a half to two years. But by the time you go through site plans, construction and tendering, any type of building is at least a year,” Neil Ellis said.
The impatience for a solution is palpable among the city’s partners at Public Health. Stephanie McFaul, harm reduction program manager, expressed the pressing need for immediate action.
“We wanted the solution yesterday, and a year ago and five years ago. So it feels too far away, but any step in the right direction is what we need to focus on right now.”
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, and as the search for a permanent detox site continues, the situation on the ground doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Hastings Prince Edward Public Health reported Monday that six new deaths have been attributed to tainted drug supply in the last three-week recorded period ending March 16th.
Stephanie McFaul reiterated the urgent need to address the root cause, stating, “And we absolutely know that one of the main drivers behind this is that there is a very toxic unregulated drug supply that is contributing to these drug poisoning deaths.”
In the interim, city and public health officials are collaborating with community partners to mitigate the crisis as much as possible. Their fervent hope remains that the tainted drug supply coursing through the city will subside, averting further fatalities.
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