“Supervised consumption services have been broadly studied around the world and they are known to be effective,” Dr. Jessica Hopkins, Peel's Chief Medical Officer of Health, told council in December. “They’re life-saving interventions.”

In Canada and the region, overdoses overwhelmingly involve fentanyl or carfentanil, and often occur when people use alone.

With the strategy approved by Peel council in December 2019, the sites have been agreed to in principle. Community consultation and approval from city councils is needed before provincial funding and federal approval can be secured — a process which can take around two years.

In a survey of 557 Peel residents conducted for the opioid strategy, 61 per cent said they wouldn't want a site in their neighbourhood. Respondents cited concerns of public safety, increased drug use in the area, and decreased property values.

Longtime Brampton resident Barbara Skolly, who is opposed to these sites, said they would attract more drug users to Brampton and drive people away from the businesses.

"I don't think its going to make any difference for the better," she said.

Another Brampton resident, Gerri-Leah Ellery, said money would be better spent on mental health services at Brampton Civic Hospital or policing drug dealers.

The sites, where drug users bring and consume drugs in a clean, supervised environment, are meant to connect people who use drugs to other substance abuse supports and treatment.

MOYO Community Health Services, formerly Peel HIV/AIDS Network, helped create the opioid strategy, and would apply to run one of the sites.

Adam Chalcraft, harm reduction supervisor at MOYO, said the sites will improve public safety by reducing public drug use and stopping the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.

"These services would alleviate a lot of those issues and save people money," he said.

Emergency room visits and treatment for Hep C are costly interventions that strain the public health system, he added.

Natalie Kaminski, a harm reduction co-ordinator and a founder of the Peel Drug Users Network, said that as well as administering naloxone in the case of accidental overdose, staff at the sites can form meaningful connections with drug users.

"It's a space where people go because they don't want to die," she said.

In their 2018 report on best practices for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the Canadian Centre on Abuse and Addiction (CCSA) said SCS are part of the harm reduction pillar of tackling the crisis.

Matthew Young, a senior research and policy analyst at CCSA, said addiction is no longer seen as a chosen behaviour, but rather a complex and chronic health issue often rooted in trauma and over-prescription of legal opioids.

“Are we going to care for those who are most marginalized and vulnerable, or are we just going to say you’re on your own?" he said.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY

Two women, who were formerly addicted to opioids, delegated at a regional council meeting in December in support of Peel's supervised consumption site (SCS) needs assessment report. We wanted to hear about the potential impact of the sites from the perspective of those with firsthand experience with opioid-related harm and residents where these sites could be located.

Disclaimer: These poll results are not scientific. They are the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of The Mississauga News and the Brampton Guardian and reflect the opinions of those readers who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone who is interested in taking it.