St. Thomas city council debates supervised drug consumption site, mayor shows hesitancy

As London, Ont., unveiled its first permanent consumption and treatment service last month, the neighbouring city of St. Thomas is still debating whether or not it should do the same.

City council met Monday evening to discuss the idea after the Southwestern Public Health Unit (SWPH) concluded its feasibility study to look at consumption and treatment services in the region.

The study, according to the health unit, will determine the need and support for and practicality of consumption and treatment services, like designated sites in St. Thomas, Elgin County and Oxford County.

Health officials said that while all information is recorded, the report will be published later this year and will include interviews with not only people who have experienced addiction, but also with business owners, health-care workers and community service providers.

During Monday’s council meeting, some councillors stressed that it’s a good idea to consider alternative options, but Mayor Joe Preston said he’s not sure if a consumption site is something the city really needs at this time.

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“I think we need the ability to deal with addictions,” Preston told Global News. “I stress a little more on the detox and rehab portion of getting people off addictive drugs, perhaps more than the consumption site, or at least in conjunction with each other. I don’t think we can do one of those two things alone.”

He continued to say that the city has been “working exceptionally hard for the last three or four years to really put those detox and rehab services in place.”

“So, I’m not sure I want to get to say, ‘Let’s try a new solution’ before we’ve actually had the old solution in place for longer than a couple of days.”

Preston stressed the work the city has done with Indwell, a Hamilton-based charity that develops affordable housing, on an upcoming 45-unit project set to open this summer.

“That’s available with addiction, drug management and mental health assistance 24 hours a day on site,” he said.

According to SWPH, safe consumption sites offer a combination of support and services, including harm reduction education, medical supports and referrals to drug treatment programs, as well as overdose prevention and intervention.

Additionally, as stated by the government, there must also be distribution and disposal spots for harm reduction supplies and naloxone and oxygen supplies, something the health unit already provides. SWPH also has a community drug strategy for Elgin and Oxford County to address drugs, including opioids, with a variety of components and approaches.

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On Monday, city council reviewed public data recorded by the health unit that showed there were a combined 90 opioid-related deaths in 2021 and 2022 in SWPH’s region, a sharp increase from the combined 44 opioid-related deaths in 2019 and 2020.

Referencing information provided by SWPH, Coun. Gary Clarke said on Monday that “it’s important to note that they (consumption sites) do not increase crime rates in their geographical area, but they do decrease fatal overdoses, so that is good news.”

However, Preston said he would like the city to work with Addictions Ontario and the Canadian Mental Health Association to see if whether the results from detox, rehab and crisis mental health services could go along with what might occur in a consumption site.

“We’re a community of about 50,000. So compared to London, it’s a significant difference on how it might work,” Preston said, referencing the recent unveiling of Carepoint’s 3,600-square-foot permanent consumption and treatment facility.

“We will gather information from anybody who’s got it as to what decisions need to be made moving forward.”

— with files from Global News’ Marshall Healey and Andrew Graham.