Woodstock council says no to drug consumption site despite top doc's recommendation

Woodstock City Council voted not to support a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site in the city opting instead to lobby the province for funding to open more treatment beds and services

After considerable debate Thursday, councillors voted 4-3 in favour of a motion by Coun. Mark Schadenberg to scrap plans for a CTS site.

"Looking at today's financial state we're in, I would much rather see any of those dollars spent on helping those that want help, through treatment beds and facilities," said Mayor Jerry Acchione, who voted in favour of Schadenberg's motion.

The move comes after a lengthy consultation process that included pleas from public health officials to move forward with planning for a CTS site in the community, citing increasing opioid overdose rates and deaths and the desire to stem the increase.

"I am one-thousand percent behind rehab facilities and other wraparound services, well before any kind of safe consumption site is considered everywhere," said Schadenberg who expressed concerns over how much a CTS site would do to keep drug users safe.

"I can't find a safe consumption site anywhere that's open 24/7, and in fact most of them close at like 9:00 p.m. at night, including the one in London," he added.

Many medical officers of public health in Ontario, including in London, are supportive of a supervised facilities designed to include wrap around mental health services and medical staff on site. The number of deaths in Woodstock related to drug use has more than doubled from 2019 to 2021.  

At public consultations and a special council meeting, Dr. Ninh Tran, the Medical Officer of Health for Southwestern Public Health presented those statistics and explained why believes a supervised site would reduce fatal overdoses and help people into treatment. 

"The consumption and treatment services model doesn't increase availability. It's not a model where any drugs or substances are being provided. It's substituting where it might be happening. People would have been bringing in their drugs that they already have," said Dr. Tran Friday. 

Tran expressed frustration at council's decision during an interview on CBC's Afternoon Drive saying some concerns are misinformed. 

LISTEN | Woodstock votes against supervised drug consumption site

Other councillors who voted against the supervised consumption site, like Coun. Deb Tate, said they worry crime will increase in downtown Woodstock. She also said a site would normalize and encourage drug use.

"From [talking to] anybody that has been addicted, or talking to those in the law enforcement, [it's clear] the safe injection site is not the way to go," said Tate. "If you talk to a former addict, it's really difficult to stay away. If it's available, they're going to do it."

Council did acknowledge that steps need to be taken to address the opiod crisis in the community. It said it will ask the province to fund addiction treatment beds in Woodstock.