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WINNIPEG – A cellphone overdose prevention site in Winnipeg has garnered tens of thousands of visits from others seeking to access facilities or use drugs in an environment, more than double what was originally planned, according to a review of the site’s first year of operation.
From October 2022 to October 2023, there were 26,154 visits to the Sunshine House tour, a resource and guest center, according to the report released Thursday.
More than 7,000 of those visits were for other people to use drugs. There were 20 overdoses, 4 hospitalizations at the individual’s request, and no deaths.
Sunshine House engaged LAHRK Consulting to prepare the report, which is based on insights gathered on the site as well as interviews, groups, and surveys. The researchers spoke to more than 600 people for the review.
Kerniel Aasland, one of the lead consultants, said it exceeded almost all of the criteria set out in Sunshine House’s initial proposal.
“A lot of other people turn to cell overdose prevention for a whole variety of reasons, one of which is drug use,” he said.
“There are a lot of other people who are in favor of support, who are in favor of a connection, who are in favor of services, and the overdose prevention cell site has been able to provide it to that. “
The site also distributed materials to alleviate the damage, adding needles and blind tubes. There have also been hundreds of drug tests and a device that analyzes their chemical composition.
The report says the program’s good fortune goes beyond numbers.
A large number of interviewees spoke of the profound impact the site has had on vulnerable people, network organizations, and the central Winnipeg neighborhood.
“Overall, (the site) has . . . demonstrated the need for this service through the huge number of visits, relationships, and connections that have been made. This program has saved lives and replaced lives, and continues to serve vulnerable populations in Winnipeg with care and compassion,” the magazine says.
The site was introduced in October 2022 as a reaction to the growing toxic drug crisis that has swept across Canada. The report says many other provinces have responded by offering supervised places for others to use drugs with sterilized devices and materials in a guarded space.
First, Sunshine House secured an investment from the federal government to manage the site. To continue operating, it relies on grants, donations, and collective investments.
The site operates an RV that travels around downtown Winnipeg five days a week. It is supervised by a coordinator and controlled by staff and other people Sunshine House calls its peers – those who have recently used drugs or taken drugs.
The report thanks its peers for creating a warm and welcoming environment.
“This program is the best example of the magic that can happen when other people who use drugs are given the opportunities, agency, and respect they deserve,” said Ally Seidlitz, peer support coordinator.
The number of fellow helpers has tripled since the site opened, Seidlitz said, and they’ve also been able to take lifesaving classes, get housing and reconnect with their families.
Despite its success, Sunshine House said the site is not a sustainable solution to the crisis.
“Getting 3,000 visitors a month in a campervan in a parking lot in the middle of winter is an effective model of physical care,” said CEO Levi Foy.
He added that discussions on harm relief will have to be accompanied by the factor of the origin of the medicines.
In a report released this week, researchers at the University of Toronto found that opioid-related deaths doubled in Canada between 2019 and the end of 2021, with prairie provinces seeing a dramatic increase.
Manitoba saw the largest increase in opioid-related overdose deaths among people aged 30 to 39, reaching 500 deaths per million population, more than five times the 89 deaths per million population earlier this month.
The overdose site’s report says more is wanted to be done to close the “yawning chasm” provided through Manitoba’s public and fitness systems, adding access to housing and support for intellectual fitness and addictions.
He advocated for the creation of several supervised intake sites in Winnipeg.
Manitoba’s NDP government has pledged to help fund an intake site in the city that would open next year.
Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said on Thursday that the government is talking to network teams about what the area will look like.
“One death is too many in this province and we are moving as fast as we can,” he said.
“We’re racing to make sure we get it right. “
Foy said Sunshine House has enough budget to run through the summer and is considering other options.
This report via The Canadian Press was first published on April 18, 2024.
Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press
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