Sudbury’s safe consumption site has reversed three ODs since it opened

The people behind the supervised drug consumption site say that 69 people have made 126 visits to the Sudbury location since it opened at the end of September.

On three occasions, the Réseau ACCESS Network said staff were able to reverse overdoses.

"The agency is sharing the figures as the federal government will be making the statistics for supervised consumption sites across the country publicly available," Amber Fritz, Réseau’s manager of supervised consumption services, is quoted as saying in a news release Thursday.

"While the agency initially withheld the numbers to foster an environment of trust with people accessing the service as per industry best practices, the government decision made it possible for the agency to release the numbers prior to receiving provincial funding."

While there were few visits in September, usage of the site saw a 65 per cent increase over the last two months, with 46 visits in October and 76 in November.

Overall, 86.7 of visitors have been men with 51 per cent using fentanyl. The site is located at 24 Energy Court, between the Beer Store and the Independent Grocer on Lorne Street.

"Despite the challenges presented by a location outside the downtown, the supervised consumption site’s uptake has grown steadily," said Fritz.

“It is encouraging that people who use drugs feel comfortable within the space and continue to visit the site to access services.”

“While statistics are important, it is vital to remember that these numbers represent people, lives saved, and a need for change in drug policy so systemically oppressed people can access services without stigma, judgment, or unreasonable requirements,” Réseau said in the news release.

“Supervised consumption sites (SCS) are places where people who use drugs (PWUD) can go to use pre-obtained drugs in a safe, empathetic place, free of stigma and discrimination. SCS are shown to help reduce the harms associated with criminalized drug use and help empower PWUD to make decisions regarding their own care.”