Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger notes that in his “perfect world” we wouldn’t have addiction but “that is not the reality.”
He made the comment on Friday morning as Hamilton City Council formally endorsed the creation of a supervised injection site within the downtown core.
The next question is which community agencies will apply to operate it.
The support was unanimous, among councillors present for the meeting, though Ward 6’s Tom Jackson says he’ll be watching closely.
Jackson admits to having some “reservations” involving the neighbourhood where the site will land and how it will “react, adapt and try to support it.”
Hamilton’s public health department says there were 43 accidental opioid-related overdose deaths in Hamilton in 2016.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson indicates that updated statistics are expected next week.
Hamilton’s Board of Health had given preliminary support of the supervised injection site at a meeting earlier this week, in the name of harm reduction.