Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 10 | Page 12

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PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY May 16 - 31, 2017
Fraser Health receives Canada
approval to open supervised
consumption services in Surrey
SURREY – Health Can-
ada has approved Fraser
Health to open two super-
vised consumption sites in
Surrey that will help save
lives in areas that are among
the hardest hit by the public
health emergency.
“Today’s news is the
result of many months of
planning and consultation
at all levels, and we are
pleased that Health Canada
has approved these two su-
pervised consumption sites
in Surrey,” said Provincial
Health Officer Dr. Perry Ken-
dall. “Supervised consump-
tion services save lives, and
provide opportunities to en-
gage with people, reverse
overdoses when they occur,
connect people to treat-
ment for their addiction
when they are ready, and ul-
timately reduce the number
of people dying.”
The two sites are
scheduled to open in June
following the completion of
renovations and staff train-
ing. Services at the site will
include the supervision of
injection drugs and Fra-
ser Health is also seeking
Health Canada approval for
intra-nasal and oral sub-
stances, which will be a first
in Canada. Fraser Health
will integrate both sites into
existing health services: one
at Quibble Creek Sobering
and Assessment Centre,
and another on 135A Street
operated in partnership with
Lookout Emergency Aid
Society, adjacent to Health
Solutions (the SHOP Clinic)
and Front Room Drop-in.
“We carefully selected
both sites based on data
analysis that indicated these
areas have the highest rate
of overdose deaths in the
region,” said Fraser Health
Chief Medical Health Of-
ficer Dr. Victoria Lee. “Su-
pervised consumption ser-
vices are one component of
our overdose strategy that
will support people in areas
that have a disproportion-
ate number of overdoses,
and today’s exemption from
Health Canada will allow us
to take a significant step
forward in engaging with
this population.”
Quibble Creek will pro-
vide supervised consump-
tion services to clients of the
centre between 7 a.m. and
7 p.m., seven days a week.
The location on 135A Street
and will be operated in part-
nership with Lookout Emer-
gency Aid Society. Super-
vised consumption services
will be provided daily from
7 a.m. to 1 a.m., based on
data analysis which showed
the greatest opportunity for
impact.
Over the past several
months, Fraser Health en-
gaged in an extensive con-
sultation process which has
included one-on-one meet-
ings with key stakeholders,
two public information ses-
sions, a web-based survey,
and interviews with people
who use drugs. The site on
135A will be called Safe-
Point – the result of consul-
tation with the people who
are most likely to access
services there.
“We are pleased to
move forward with super-
vised consumption servic-
es at SafePoint, and know
that these services will go a
long way in making a differ-
ence to the lives of those on
135A Street,” said Shayne
Williams, Executive Direc-
tor for Lookout Emergency
Aid Society. “SafePoint staff
will not only reverse over-
doses, but will help make
meaningful
connections
with people seeking to ac-
cess health care and other
supports.”
In addition to offering
supervised
consumption
services, both locations will
provide health care work-
ers with opportunities to
connect people who use
substances with health care
and community services.
Both sites will continue
to provide connections to
treatment, including medi-
cations to treat opioid ad-
diction (suboxone and
methadone). Since services
were enhanced at these
locations in January, 237
people have started on their
road to recovery (as of May
15).
“Supervised consump-
tion services in Surrey will
help save the lives of some
of the most vulnerable peo-
ple in our community, while
supporting those who are
ready to address their ad-
diction with connections to
treatment services on their
journey to recovery,” said
Surrey Mayor Linda Hep-
ner.
Fraser Health’s new SC
services support the work
of the Joint Task Force on
Overdose Response estab-
lished in 2016. As part of
the wide range of actions
taken, partners across the
health system continue to
expand access to life-sav-
ing naloxone and opioid
addiction medications and
treatments such as Subox-
one, open more overdose
prevention sites, work with
Health Canada on approv-
als to open additional su-
pervised consumption sites
and improve the system of
substance use services.●
Four overdose deaths recorded last week in Vancouver
Vancouver Police De-
partment (VPD) reported
four overdose deaths for
the week of May 15, brin