Calgary Drop-In Centre’s overdose prevention site nixed

A proposed overdose prevention service at the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre Society won’t be happening after all.

The province and the Calgary Drop-In Centre have pulled the plug on the site.

Associate Minister Mike Ellis confirmed in a tweet the province and the Drop-In Centre jointly decided not to go ahead with the service after hearing concerns from surrounding communities.

In a statement, the province says they’ll work with the City of Calgary and other stakeholders to establish a more suitable overdose prevention model than what currently exists.

This week I met with the Calgary Drop-in Centre, the City of Calgary, and members of the surrounding communities in Calgary’s east village.

Below is an update on the previously proposed overdose prevention site at the Calgary Drop-in Centre. #yyc pic.twitter.com/al2NIyiOPr

— Mike Ellis (@MikeEllisUCP) September 2, 2022

Instead, they will be working to establish a medical detox, and what they call a dynamic outreach and overdose response in the community.

But harm reduction advocates are disappointed by the move.

The executive director of Each and Every: Businesses for Harm Reduction, Euan Thomson, says he’s not surprised by the decision not to go ahead with the site.

He says the province and people in the city need to realize the realities of the drug crisis and what is needed to actually fight it.

He adds there is a lot of stigma around overdose prevention sites.

“So the drug poisoning crisis is going to claim another 600 Calgarians this year at least and it’s sad to see the inability for our provincial government to move forward services that will actually address that crisis,” said Thomson.

Read More:

• Calgarians mark overdose awareness day with remembrance, education

• Alberta smartphone app intends to reduce overdose deaths in drug users at home

• Opioid-related deaths expected to claim 2,400 Canadian lives in 2022: Public Health Agency

  ---

Thomson says the need for an overdose prevention service here in Calgary is huge, and without one, lives will continue to be lost.

“You know we’re so fixated on treatment and detox right now at a time when we know that it’s actually the toxic drug supply that’s driving the crisis forward,” said Thomson.

Thomson says it’s important for people to look at the data, which he says shows the positive impact overdose prevention sites can have.

He adds the government needs to start to realize the reality of the drug crisis, and how overdose prevention sites can help.

“These services are safe places for people to go and use are really what’s needed on the frontline right now because that’s the service that’s completely lacking from our communities,” said Thomson.

“And downstream from that we really need a safe supply. We need to replace the unregulated drug supply completely so people can use [it] safely,” said Thomson.