Supervised drug-use sites in St. Thomas, Woodstock eyed

The public health unit for Elgin and Oxford counties will move ahead with the next phase of developing drug use and treatment services in a region that’s seeing almost one drug overdose death a week.

The board of Southwestern Public Health unanimously voted to support recommendations outlined in a study on the need for drug consumption and treatment services. That includes identifying potential locations and community partners to operate the site.

“It was very encouraging having support from the board. They really understand the magnitude of the crisis we’ve been having,” Ninh Tran, Southwestern Public Health’s medical officer of health, said Friday.

“We are talking about close to about a death each week of community members living in our region,” and finding “solutions to reduce this harm,” he said.

The study shows the region’s rate of opioid-related visits to the emergency department started to increase in 2016, rising to nearly one and a half times the provincial rate in 2021. The rate of opioid-related hospitalizations was roughly double Ontario’s in 2021.

There were 32 opioid-related deaths in St. Thomas and Oxford and Elgin counties between 2017 and 2019. It took only half of that time — between April 2020 and March 2021 — to reach the same death toll.

The most recent data shows the region’s opioid-related death rate is 21.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021, higher than Ontario’s rate of 10.4.

Several community partners, including municipal politicians and people with lived experience of substance use, expressed support for drug consumption and treatment services, the report presented to Southwestern’s board of health states. There was a strong preference for an “embedded delivery model,” meaning treatment and wrap-around services for mental health and addiction would be offered in addition to a supervised drug-use site.

“We have to meet people where they’re at, in terms of their addiction, so providing treatment supports and services there in a way that’s accessible, non-judgmental and barrier-free,” Tran said.

The study indicated downtown St. Thomas and Woodstock would be most suitable to host those services, although not on the main street. The smaller communities of Ingersoll and Tillsonburg also would be considered.

Some community members expressed concerns over the prospect of having such a site, citing the potential impacts on local businesses and the economy, loitering in public spaces and a decrease in property values.

Malichi Male, the owner of the Saint T barber shop and clothing store in downtown St. Thomas, says he feels “torn” over the possibility of having those services nearby.

“Business-wise, it’s not going to be a good thing. But if you’re talking about the individuals that need the help, then I believe that would work,” he said.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like, ‘OK, well, if they don’t do it, what other opportunity do these individuals … have to get better?’ ”

The health unit plans to launch an anti-stigma education initiative that would include information about harm reduction, address common misconceptions and shift how substance use is typically discussed.

Board members on Thursday voted to approve the following steps for Southwestern Public Health:

The entire study can be found online at www.swpublichealth.ca/cts.

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