St. Thomas needs a supervised drug consumption site, advocates say

Smaller cities are not immune from the opioid epidemic and toxic drug supply that is killing people, advocates for drug users say ahead of a city council meeting where politicians will debate opening a supervised consumption site in St. Thomas. 

"It's long overdue and needed in the community," said Jackie Moore, the coordinator of The Nameless, a volunteer-run group that supports people experiencing homelessness, drug use and challenges with a mental health diagnosis. 

"St. Thomas tends to be a little conservative when it comes to these things,so we're hoping that councillors can see the benefit of these kinds of programs and how it can be so beneficial in the community for everybody." 

Southwestern Public Health, which operates in St. Thomas and the rest of Elgin County as well as Woodstock and Oxford County, already has mobile clinics for people who have no other access to primary care. The public health unit also gives out free needles and other items used for drug use so people can use as safely as possible. 

But a supervised consumption site, where people can use drugs without fear of criminal charges and have access to a health care professional in case of overdose, would be a game changer in the small community, Moore said. 

"It's not just about going in to use a substance. It's connectivity, and that's kind of at the base of the radical kind of movement that we're seeing make changes. We can connect people to housing workers and mental health workers and doctors or nurses and addiction councillors," Moore said. 

"If someone is ready to make a change in their lives, they have that opportunity. Add to that, we will be keeping people alive. There are some really toxic substances on the streets that are killing our friends." 

St. Thomas city councillors will discuss what they think about a supervised consumption site and will report back to Southwestern Public Health, which is conducting a feasibility study about the issue. 

The Nameless serves more than 200 people six days a week through their outreach programs, Moore said. 

Opioid-related deaths have increased in the Elgin and Oxford county region as well as in Woodstock and St. Thomas, and the mortality rate is higher than the provincial average, according to Southwestern Public Health data. 

"Locally, the average number of monthly deaths from opioid overdoses has increased from 1.42 per month in 2019 to 3.83 per month in 2021," the data states. 

It will be interesting to see what councillors think, said Brian Elliott, the executive director of Inn Out of the Cold, a low-barrier shelter in St. Thomas. 

"We deal with a lot of individuals that suffer from addictions and we certainly work very closely with with a lot of community-focused organizations so it'll be interesting to see what the actual recommendations are moving forward,  considering there are.already a fair amount of community organizations involved with the addictions work," Elliott said. 

St. Thomas has done a good job of coordinating a response between agencies, he added.