Proponents of supervised injection site in the capital not ready to throw in the towel

Debate over whether Ottawa should have at least one supervised injection site is far from over.

Proponents are planning a major new proposal by the end of the year.

The subject dominated discussion a recent Board of Health meeting.

The proponents of a supervised injection sites say one of the city’s four pillars to substance misuse is “harm reduction.”

Group asking Ottawa Market residents to support supervised injection site

A group advocating a supervised injection site in the ByWard Market is canvassing the neighbourhood Sunday seeking support from residents.

“This is clearly a health crisis. We’re offering an alternative,” said Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites co-ordinator Chris Dalton.

Ottawans using drugs have high rates of overdose, infection, and rising rates of communicable diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C, he said.

“This is a growing problem and if we don’t stop it soon, then there’s going to be more HIV,” Dalton said.

Group canvassing for safe injection site support

A local advocacy group is keeping up the fight for a safe injection site in Ottawa, despite the opposition of the mayor and police chief.

The Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites in Ottawa (CSCS) went door-to-door in the ByWard Market on Saturday, asking residents about drug use in the area and if they’d support opening a site where people addicted to drugs could safely inject.

ByWard Market residents asked if they would support a safe injection site

An Ottawa group of volunteers walked the ByWard Market Saturday seeking neighbourhood reaction to a potential safe drug consumption site on their doorstep.

The Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites volunteers went door-to-door in the Market canvassing residents on how they feel about drug use and, if asked to do so publicly, whether they would support a harm reduction site in the neighbourhood. That site could be used to provide a safer space for users to inhale or inject drugs.

Un groupe demande à nouveau la création d'un centre d'injection supervisé à Ottawa

Le débat au sujet d'un centre d'injection supervisée au centre-ville d'Ottawa refait surface. Un groupe de personnes a fait du porte-à-porte, samedi, pour sensibiliser la population du marché By à la nécessité d'un tel centre.

Le groupe, qui compte une douzaine de bénévoles, sollicite des appuis. Déjà, ils ont amassé près de 2000 signatures sur une pétition pour la création d'un endroit où les toxicomanes pourraient s'injecter de la drogue sous la supervision d'un employé. Ces bénévoles proviennent de différents milieux, dont le système de santé et les services sociaux. Le groupe compte également d'anciens toxicomanes.

Harm reduction advocates ask ByWard Market residents and business owners to support community health

On April 27th and 28th, members of the Campaign for Safer Consumption Sites (CSCS) will be doing door-to-door campaigning to residences and businesses within the ByWard Market. Residents and business owners will be surveyed about their perception of drug use in the market, and asked if they would publicly support the opening of a supervised drug consumption site in their neighbourhood.

Supervised drug consumption sites required in Ottawa, advocates say

Check out this must-watch report on the need for safer drug consumption sites in Ottawa, featuring Rick Sproule and Sean Leblanc of the Drug Users Advocacy League , Dr. Mark Tyndall, and Rob Boyd of Sandy Hill CHC. Keep an eye out for one of our CSCS stickers, too!

This video was created by Carleton University journalism students. Great work!

A discussion of community-based harm reduction

On Thursday, Feb 28, join University of Ottawa Health Services for an evening of discussion about community-based harm reduction in Ottawa at Cafe Alt from 6:30-8:30pm. With special guests:
• Wendy Muckle, Executive Director of Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH)
• Sean LeBlanc, Chair of the Drug User’s Advocacy League (DUAL)

R.S.V.P. on Facebook

UOHS welcomes students and the community to join in this informative and engaging discussion. This presentation will be especially relevant to students in the fields of health, allied health, medicine and social work.

Talking harm reduction at Ottawa's Winterlude

This past weekend, CSCS volunteers took to Winterlude to talk with people about supervised consumption sites & collect signatures on our petition to the provincial health minister . We had great conversations about harm reduction and received lots of positive feedback from Ottawans and tourists alike. There's no doubt that supervised consumption sites are a health service that people are ready to support in our community.

Thank you so much to our amazing volunteers! With your help, we're now at well over 1000 signatures on our paper petition, which we'll be submitting to the provincial legislature later in the year.

Health centre studies safe injection sites

A recent fact-finding trip to Europe by members of the Somerset West Community Health Centre has inspired new discussions among community organizers about safe injection sites in Ottawa.

Two board members and an employee from the centre visited four cities in Germany and the Netherlands last fall to research supervised safe injection sites, says the centre’s executive director, Jack McCarthy.

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