Pubdate: Sat, 10 Dec 2016
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.timescolonist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Bill Cleverley
Page: A4

Councillors come face to face with city's drug crisis

Man injected drugs in city hall washroom

Injection drug use moved from the shadows into the halls of government
this week after a man was caught shooting up in a public washroom at
Victoria City Hall.

"It wasn't an overdose," said Coun. Chris Coleman, who happened to
pass by just after security was called to deal with the situation.

Coleman said the incident underscores the need for supervised
consumption services in the city.

The challenge, he said, is getting the facilities in place - and then
getting people to use them, "so [that] all other citizens feel and are
safe."

Coleman said security was called after someone noticed the main-floor
public washroom door had been locked for quite some time.

After gaining access, they determined that the man was injecting
drugs, Coleman said. The man was escorted out of the building.

"They had to go in and investigate. The security guy was called in to
do it, and I think he was feeling somewhat frustrated by it," he said.

Coleman mentioned the incident as councillors were discussing options
for replacing public washrooms in the Centennial Square parkade.

After-hours use of the city hall public washroom is one of the options
under consideration. Staff say $10,000 a month would need to be
budgeted for security if the facility were open 24 hours a day.

The province has announced it plans to open two "overdose prevention
rooms" in Victoria next week to try to curtail the epidemic of
overdose deaths due to fentanyl, a powerful opioid. There were 622
illicit drug overdose deaths in B.C. between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31 of
this year, according to the B.C. Coroners Service. About 60 per cent
have involved fentanyl.

The temporary facilities, to be operated by Island Health, will be
available for people to inject drugs under supervision. They are not
considered supervised consumption sites because they will not have a
Health Canada issued Controlled Drugs and Substances Act exemption.

Island Health is in the process of applying for exemptions for three
supervised consumption sites in Victoria.

Such sites offer a hygienic environment where people can use drugs
under the supervision of trained staff. Users bring their own drugs to
the facilities, which often offer other health and social services.

The aim is to reduce the number of overdose deaths and reduce public
drug use and the number of discarded needles. The sites would also
include a range of ancillary services, including public health, mental
health, counselling and treatment services.
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MAP posted-by: Matt