A report going to a community services committee in Waterloo Region recommends setting up at least three safe injection sites to curb overdose deaths, public drug use and the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
Staff have been conducting a study in the region over the last several months and found there is significant support to set up safe injection sites in two hotspots for public drug use: the downtown cores of Kitchener and south Cambridge.
The report also recommends determining a third site or investigating a different strategy, like setting up a mobile unit.
“Downtown Kitchener and south Cambridge (Galt) were identified as the most important locations for supervised injection services,” the report stated. “However a third site (temporary or mobile) was also recommended to address potential need in other areas.”
Supervised injection sites allow drug users access to clean space and clean needles, but also offer them details on where to find help to address their addiction.
Ontario’s Ministry of Health argues safe injection sites reduce overdose deaths, decrease public injecting and the amount of discarded needles.
Safe injection sites also increase referrals to drug treatment programs and reduce the spread of HIV and hepatitis C, according to the ministry.
The study conducted in Waterloo Region showed 4,000 residents inject drugs. About half of those inject drugs daily and 75 per cent reported injecting in a public location in the last six months.
Officials said there were 71 overdose deaths in Waterloo Region in 2017 and 31 of those were reported in Kitchener.
The commonly reported reason for public drug use was homelessness and four out of five respondents reported injecting drugs alone, increasing their risk of a fatal overdose.
The study also found that most people who inject drugs said they would use or might use supervised injection services.
Concerns were also raised about where the sites would be located and the potential impacts on the surrounding community including the safety of children, property values, drug trafficking and the effect on nearby businesses.
Regional councillors received the report Tuesday morning and were asked to schedule a meeting in March to seek public input on the matter.
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