Kingston is joining many other Canadian cities and setting up a safe injection site for drug users.
The overdose prevention site will be located at the Street Health Centre and will offer a safe place for people to consume their substances.
The Kingston health facility already provides services, like a needle exchange and counselling, but come June, Naloxone kits will be offered on site.
Dr. Fareen Karachiwalla, the associate medical officer of health for KFL&A Public Health, says the site will keep users’ safety in mind.
“There will be paramedics on site,” Karachiwalla said.
According to Karachiwalla, having the trained paramedics on site will provide a measure of security and information for users of the facility.
The site is the next step in KFL&A Public Health’s plan to reduce the number of opioid overdose-related deaths in the community.
Marc Goudie, acting deputy chief of Frontenac Paramedic Services, says that it’s a natural step forward for Kingston.
“This falls well within our scoped practice to provide the best immediate emergency treatment to patients experiencing an overdose.”
Street Health officials say the users aren’t the only people that have something to learn from this new centre.
“Our goal is to break down barriers and also eliminate the stigma that is associated with people that use substances,” said Justine McIsaac, outreach worker at Street Health.
While safe consumption sites like this one have been met with mixed reactions in some communities across Canada, Street Health workers hope this site will put a serious dent in the number of opioid overdoses and deaths in the area.