More than 1,500 people have taken advantage of witnessed consumption services since the local health contact centre opened in New West in April 2021.
The downtown facility provides a variety of services, including witnessed consumption, harm-reduction supplies, referrals to treatment centres and health services, and drug testing. Operated by the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, it opened on April 6, 2021.
Lynda Fletcher-Gordon, acting executive director of the Purpose Society, said the centre has had 1,543 visits to the witnessed consumption services since it opened. Those visits were from 296 different individuals.
“Staff has responded to 74 events caused by toxic drugs ingested on site and a number more in the surrounding area and New Westminster, generally,” she said. “None of these events caused by the ingestion of toxic drugs have resulted in death.”
In addition to offering a place where people can use drugs safely, Fletcher-Gordon said staff at the facility has provided information and made hundreds of active referrals for participants to detox and recovery programs, shelter and housing, health care and many other services. She said hundreds of harm-reduction kits and take-home naloxone kits have been distributed and education about safer-use practices has been provided to many community members.
“We also provide FTIR spectrometer drug testing on site, allowing us to keep our participants and the wider community informed about what toxic drugs are circulating,” she said. “And our HCC (health contact centre) outreach workers are out in New Westminster every night, providing supplies, referrals and promoting our services to anyone who wants to make use of them.”
According to Fletcher-Gordon, outreach workers have had 3,931 interactions with community members since June 2021.
What happened in March 2022?
Five overdose events occurred at the health contact centre in March 2022. Here are some other March statistics provided by the Purpose Society relating to services at the downtown facility:
* Total visits: 158
* Total new participants: 21
* Referrals: Four – two to detox/recovery, one to shelter and one to health care
* Harm-reduction supplies distributed at entrance: smoking kits – 161; injecting kits – 209; safe sex kits – two; take-home Naloxone kits – 94; bubble pipes – 509; and other harm-reduction supplies – 700
* Servings of food and drink given out: food – 740 and drinks – 938
Here are some statistics from work undertaken by the health contact centre’s outreach team in March:
* Total interactions: 468
* Items distributed: smoking kits – 172; bubble pipes – 218; injecting kits – 40; safe sex kits – 25; take-home Naloxone kits – 50; food –351; drinks – 211; and other supplies – 64
In addition, the outreach team has provided 74 referrals (or resource information) and has heard directly from two area residents (no local businesses).
Reflecting on the first year of operation, Fletcher-Gordon said one of the heath contact centre’s (HCC) greatest successes is the way it’s also been accepted by people who use substances. She said Purpose staff has worked hard to create a friendly, supportive and non-judgmental service at the health contact centre.
“What we have learned in working with people who use substances over the past year is that accepting people as they are, treating them with respect, dignity and compassion, builds trusting, positive relationships,” she said. “This helps participants to view the health contact centre as a safe space to share their story and seek assistance when they’re ready to do so.”
At the same time, Fletcher-Gordon said the health contact centre has become an accepted and integrated as part of the general community. She believes that’s due to a combination of the trust that Purpose has built with the community and by immediately responding to questions or complaints.
Community concerns
Because of concerns about the poisoned drug crisis, in October 2020 New Westminster city council directed staff to work with the Fraser Health Authority on the establishment of an overdose prevention site and the implementation of a safe supply program.
In March 2021, council approved a temporary use permit that allows the Purpose Society and Fraser Health to operate a health contact centre at 40 Begbie St. The centre opened the following month and is open from 3:30 to 11 p.m. daily.
“I think the health contact centre is really filling the role in the community that we needed to fill,” said Mayor Jonathan Cote. “We recognize the whole province is in an opioid crisis, but it is particularly hitting the city of New West hard, and being able to have a safe supply and a safe injection site was really important in our community. I think the statistics are showing the centre is saving lives and is providing supervised supports that are absolutely necessary in our community.”
Cote said the centre is a place where workers can connect people who are struggling with other health resources and services.
“It’s more than just a safe injection site. It’s a way to connect people to other services to really help folks that are really struggling and are really vulnerable in our community,” he said. “From my impression, it’s really filling an important need during the opioid crisis here in the City of New Westminster.”
While many area residents have voiced support for the facility – saying it helps save lives by providing witnessed consumption and allows people to use drugs indoors rather than on the streets, some community members have expressed concern that it’s drawing more drug users, homelessness and crime to the area.
Asked about those concerns, Fletcher-Gordon said the community was faced with homelessness and the various issues that come when people are living on the street long before the health contact centre was established.
“However, it is easy to blame the HCC when people leave garbage on the streets or sleep in doorways,” she said. “Purpose staff work hard to keep the front and back of our property clean because we, along with most everyone else, want a clean and welcoming community.”
Cote agreed.
“From the city’s perspective we don’t see the see the health contact centre as being the cause of some of these social challenges that we are facing in the city,” he said. “The reality is, we know we have been struggling for a few years with increased homelessness and we know there are addiction issues here in the city. From my perspective, the health contact centre is to help address those issues, it is not the cause of those challenges.”
While there’s no doubt the city has seen an increase in homelessness and social issues in the downtown neighbourhood in recent years, Cote said it’s not fair to jump to conclusions and connect those issues to the opening of the health contact centre. He doesn’t think that connection is accurate.
“Unfortunately, many communities in Metro Vancouver have been experiencing a significant increase in homelessness and addiction issues in their communities over the past few years,” he said. “Even though in New Westminster we are seeing some challenges, the reality is there’s a lot of communities in Metro Vancouver that are also facing very similar challenges.”
Chief coroner calls for action
According to the BC Coroners Service, 42 people died of illicit drug deaths in New Westminster in 2021, in a year when a toxic illicit drug supply claimed the lives of at least 2,224 British Columbians. An additional five people died in New West in January 2022, the last month for which statistics have been released.
Reports from the BC Coroners Service state that no deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.
British Columbia’s chief coroner Lisa Lapointe has repeatedly called on decision makers at all levels to recognize and respond to this public health emergency with the level of urgency it demands. She noted that more than 2,200 families experienced the devastating loss of a loved one in 2021 and rate of death due to illicit drug toxicity in B.C. has risen more than 400% in the past seven years.
"The reality is this: every day we wait to act, six more people will die,” she said in a news release. “COVID-19 has shown what is possible when governments act decisively to save lives. And in order to save lives in this public-health emergency, we need to provide people with access to the substances they need, where and when they need them. Time has run out for research and discussion. It is time to take action."
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