As the Saint John region continues to report high volumes of overdoses, plans for a permanent prevention site remain far from complete.
According to a spokesperson for the Saint John Police Force, in 2022, medical assistance calls related to overdoses increased by approximately 39 per cent compared to 2021.
“In a number of cases, there was evidence to believe or suspect that fentanyl may have caused an overdose. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is responsible for overdose deaths in Canada each year,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca.
Throughout the year, advocates in the community have warned of a more toxic drug supply.
In an interview with Global News on Wednesday, Robert Bruce, Chief of the Saint John Police Force, said the increase speaks to the significance of the problem.
“It continues to grow because we don’t have the support in place for people, so we’re going to continue to see it,” Bruce stated.
“People are looking for a greater high, they’re going to a different kind of a drug, a more potent drug that is now killing people.”
In 2022, Bruce created a Community Action Group intended to attract local stakeholders and government to craft solutions for issues in the community, including substance abuse.
An approach that recognizes the various causes of substance abuse is needed, Bruce said.
“We have to look at innovative ways to do this, we have to try other things, because clearly what we have been doing, everybody has been doing, hasn’t been working.”
At Avenue B, a harm reduction site in Saint John, talks have long been underway to create an overdose prevention site (OPS) to manage the crisis.
“I’m just in the process of reaching out to the province to see how far will they go in terms of support, (and) how serious are they,” said Julie Dingwell, the executive director at Avenue B.
A five-year addiction and mental health plan released by the provincial government in 2021 included the “implementation of overdose prevention sites” as a key priority initiative.
The province’s first site, at Ensemble in Moncton, opened in November 2021.
While the team at Avenue B had long hoped they could open the site in their new location, Dingwell recently realized a temporary location may be necessary in the interim.
“So, I think it’s time we move on that and figure out how we can get this site up here,” she said.
Global News reached out to the Department of Health for comment regarding an OPS in Saint John, but did not receive a response by deadline.
“We have to commit to keeping people alive — it’s just that simple. Like the people have to mean more to us than just letting them slide through the cracks,” Dingwell said.