Interior Health is proposing supervised consumption sites for various locations in both Kelowna and Kamloops.
In the region, those are the two communities experiencing the highest number of overdose deaths.
In 2015, Kamloops had seven overdose deaths, while in the first ten months of 2016 there have already been 31. In Kelowna, there were 20 overdose deaths in 2015 and 37 deaths in the first ten months of 2016.
Currently, the provincial government is supporting health authorities who submit applications for supervised consumption services.
“Supervised consumption services save lives,” said Health Minister Terry Lake. “They help to prevent overdoses and reduce the risk of transmitting infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
“They could be of great benefit to Kamloops and Kelowna and any community with high risk population.”
The sites would provide a clean environment where people can use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of trained health-care staff who can respond promptly in the event of an overdose.
Users would also be given sterile injection supplies, education on safer injection, overdose prevention and intervention, medical and counselling services, and referrals to drug treatment, housing, income support and other services.
Now, Interior Health is looking for input on potential locations including a mobile unit in Kamloops, where stops would be determined based on overdoses and drug use, 477 Leon Ave. in Kelowna, a space that is owned by the Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society, and a mobile unit in Kelowna.
The proposed mobile units would allow the service to be provided through outreach to more than one area of the city.
According to IH, no decisions have been made at this time.
Residents of Kamloops and Kelowna can provide feedback on supervised consumption services and the proposed locations by visiting the Interior Health Supervised Consumption webpage and submitting their opinions through the online feedback form by Dec. 15.
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