An indoor inhalation space would help address some community concerns about people smoking drugs on New West streets, says the Lower Mainland Purpose Society.
The City of New Westminster is advocating for an indoor inhalation service in the downtown, as part of its crises response pilot project. If approved, the proposed inhalation service could be included in the health contact centre that’s operated by the Purpose Society.
Lynda Fletcher-Gordon, the society’s acting executive director, said in the best of all possible worlds, people would not use drugs to the point where they lose control over their ability to be productive on a daily basis but that unfortunately occurs.
“In the best of all possible worlds, treatment would be available on demand. Toxic drugs would not be killing people at the rate they are,” she said. “People would not be homeless on the streets as a result of the unavailability and cost of housing.”
In order to address deaths from people using toxic drugs alone, safe injection sites were established, said Fletcher-Gordon.
“Safe injection sites work because when the consumption of drugs is witnessed, the effects of toxic drugs can be mediated with the administration of naloxone,” she said. “However, over the past few years, more people have switched to smoking their drugs. The method of using drugs does not change their toxicity. People are still dying. In addition, people using toxic drugs are experiencing brain damage.”
Fletcher-Gordon, a longtime New Westminster resident, noted that people who smoke their drugs do it on the street because there are no safe inhalation sites.
“New Westminster residents do not want to see drug use on their streets and that is completely understandable,” she said. “If no one wants people to use drugs on the streets, we need to establish spaces inside where they can use, be monitored and stay alive.”
Fletcher-Gordon said she heard “negative voices inciting fear” during council’s discussion about the safe inhalation site at its Feb. 10 meeting.
“I heard the lines being drawn between us and them. I heard people talking who have never visited the Purpose Society. If you really want to ‘know’ about what is going on and why, come and chat with staff. The staff can paint a vivid picture of what is currently happening on the street and what we need to do to keep people alive,” she said in a statement to the Record. “Reports do not tell the how and why of people using substances, only the people can tell their stories.”
Saying “fear works when people are stereotyped,” Fletcher-Gordon asks residents to put aside their stereotypes of people who use substances.
“Stereotypes are wrong. Make the establishment of a safe inhalation site about keeping people alive until they can access treatment,” she said. “Let’s chat about how to establish this safe inhalation site and not why we shouldn’t – unless you can turn your face away from people continuing to die from toxic drugs.”
