Preparations Underway to Meet Federal and Provincial Standards

MARCH 10, 2022

The recent announcement by the Province of Ontario to fund Peterborough’s application for a Consumption and Treatment Services Site (CTS) has paved the way for local addiction treatment agency Fourcast to take the next steps to prepare the site for service delivery. This long-anticipated funding, which amounts to $1,357,100 annually from the province, is the culmination of a lengthy approval process that has involved the efforts of several local agencies.

“Fortunately, we’re six months ahead of schedule thanks to the community’s generous contributions during the Light The Way campaign this past autumn,” says Fourcast Executive Director, Donna Rogers. The effort, which raised more than $160k, allowed for renovations to prepare the site at 220 Simcoe St. “It’s important to recognize that, while it has been a long road to get us to this point, we still have to make upgrades to the space to adhere to the guidelines detailed in the federal exemption and by the Ministry of Health,” she adds.

“The addition of the CTS is another tool in the continuum of services required to confront the drug poisoning crisis,” says Jessica Penner, Coordinator with the Peterborough Drug Strategy (PDS). “The aim is to provide a full scope of wraparound services and supports, including referrals to relevant community services. The pandemic has highlighted how devastating the drug poisoning crisis has been for our community, so we’re eager to provide a service that will enhance safety, connection, and access to lifesaving supports.”

Read the Full Press Release.

Fundraising Effort to Renovate Site Gears Up in Anticipation of Opening

JUNE 15, 2021

Community organizations seeking to operate a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site are one step closer to gaining approval. Peterborough’s application for a federal exemption to allow the use of illegal drugs at 220 Simcoe Street, the proposed site of the CTS, has been conditionally approved. Health Canada’s approval is conditional on a site visit and proof of funding. Now, the group is fundraising to renovate the site in the former Greyhound bus station in anticipation of provincial approval of funding to operate.

The CTS initiative is being led by Fourcast, in collaboration with PARN-Your Community AIDS Resource Network and the Peterborough 360 Degree Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. The partners have opted to renovate the site so they can be operational as soon as possible after approval of provincial CTS funding. They are collaborating with the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP) to help facilitate donations from the public. The partners are encouraged that they have already raised $25,000 of their $160,000 goal to prepare the site to host a CTS.

Read the Full Press Release.

Local organizations have applied to establish a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site at 220 Simcoe Street, the former Greyhound bus station. Peterborough City and County residents were invited to join us for online site-specific consultation sessions from November 4-12, 2020 to more specifically inform CTS operations at this location. A summary report and other relevant documents and resources can be downloaded below.

Read the Community Consultation Report.

Read the 2020 Consultation FAQ.

View the CTS Service Connections Resource.

View the Preliminary Patterns in Circumstances Surrounding Opioid-Related Deaths in Ontario During the COVID-19 Pandemic infographic by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network.

Watch the guided virtual tour of the proposed CTS site:

Community engagement is an important component of the process to implement a Consumption and Treatment Services site. In November 2019, an online survey was launched to better understand local perceptions of CTS, levels of support or opposition, and to gather feedback about questions or concerns. A summary report and accompanying media release documenting the results of the community engagement survey can be downloaded below.

Read the Community Engagement Survey Report.

Media Release – Peterborough Supports Supervised Consumption Option

Applying for a CTS site is one example of the collaborative community response that is underway to address opioid use and related harms in Peterborough. Find a timeline of community efforts up to the 2019 engagement here.

Supervised consumption sites do not provide drugs. Clients come to the program with their own supply of drugs. An intake worker greets each person and completes an assessment to confirm they are eligible to use the service and that they understand how it works.

The client is given sterile injection equipment and instruction on safer injection practices. In a neighbouring room, a nurse supervises their injection and responds in the case of any medical emergencies.

Once the individual has finished their injection they are directed to a waiting room for ongoing observation and to receive information and referrals about other health and social services.

Canadian and International research shows that supervised injections services provide many benefits both for individuals using the services and for the community, including:

• Reduced drug overdoses, poisonings, and deaths
• Reduced risk factors leading to infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis
• Increased use of detox and drug treatment services
• Connection and referral to other health and social services
• Reduced public drug use and less publicly discarded needles
• Cost-effectiveness
• No impact on crime or increased drug use in the local community

For more information about the evidence and benefits of SCS, visit our CTS Facts page.

Yes. In Canada, legal operation of a supervised consumption site requires an exemption under Section 56.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). Exemptions are granted by the federal Minister of Health.

Supervised consumption sites do not increase crime in the surrounding area. They are located in areas where drug use is already having an impact on the community.

In the neighbourhood around InSite in Vancouver, research has shown there has been no increase in crime, and actual decreases in vehicle break-ins and thefts. Australian studies have also found decreases in drug-related crime, public drug use and loitering.

For more information about the evidence and benefits of SCS, visit our CTS Facts page.

People do not start injecting drugs because of supervised consumption services. There is no evidence that harm reduction services of any kind promote drug use. Supervised consumption services are used mainly by people with a long history of injection drug use. Research has also found that supervised consumption services do not cause people to relapse (e.g., start using drugs after a period of not using) or prevent people from stopping drug use altogether.

For more information about the evidence and benefits of SCS, visit our CTS Facts page.

Yes. 220 Simcoe Street is the location for the proposed CTS site in Peterborough. Click here to read the 2020 Consultation FAQ.

Harm reduction programs like consumption and treatment services are important parts of a comprehensive strategy to improve community outcomes related to substance use. Harm reduction services aim to link people who use drugs to services and supports to improve their health. Treatment services are needed for people who want to reduce or stop using drugs. A range of supports are needed because people may fall in and out of treatment and recovery or may not be ready to stop using drugs.

Health Canada and the provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recognize the need for both harm reduction and treatment. Funding for treatment services are supported through different health services and provincial branches. Locally, harm reduction service providers and treatment service providers work together through the Peterborough Drug Strategy to ensure our approaches are coordinated and resources are used efficiently and effectively.

There is an urgent need in Peterborough to rapidly mobilize and expand on existing harm reduction services to address the growing opioid crisis. Recent statistics show that Peterborough is one of the top-ranking communities in Ontario for highest per capita rate of opioid-related deaths, and has seen drastic increases in calls for emergency services and emergency room visits.

• Peterborough County/City Paramedics (PCCP) call volume data indicates that Opioid Overdose type calls have increased steadily over the past several years. From January 1 to June 28, 2019, PCCP reported a 31% increase in Opioid Overdose type calls compared to the same timeframe in 2018. In 2017, PCCP reported a 65% increase in Overdose/Intoxication type calls, compared to an average yearly increase of 15% between 2014-2016.
• Between July 2017 and June 2018, Peterborough Public Health (PPH) ranked 3rd highest in the province for average opioid-related deaths per 100,000 population, at a rate of 15.4 per 100,000, which is nearly double the provincial average of 8.4 per 100,000 for the same time period [ODPRN 1]. A previous analysis covering the period between July 2013 to June 2016 ranked PPH 4th highest [ODPRN 2].
• Opioid-related deaths in the PPH area have increased steadily over the past 3 years. There were 10 opioid-related deaths in 2016, 16 in 2017, and 26 in 2018 [PHO]. In the first 9 months of 2019, there were 26 deaths due to opioid poisoning (combination of confirmed and suspected) [personal communication with Peterborough Police Service].
• In 2017, Peterborough ranked as the 3rd highest central metropolitan area in Ontario in the number of opioid poisoning Emergency Department visits with an age-adjusted rate of 108.9/100,000 [CIHI].
• Visits to Peterborough’s Emergency Department for opioid poisoning increased 214% between 2014 & 2018. ED visits for poisoning by heroin increased almost four-fold between 2016 and 2017, and then increased by a further 44% in 2018. Additionally, “poisoning by other synthetic narcotics” increased 52% in 2018 over the previous year and in 2018 approximately three quarters (76%) of this category were specifically attributed to “poisoning by fentanyl and derivatives” [IntelliHealth].
• The 2017 rate of Hepatitis C in the PPH area (65.3) was approximately double that of the province (33). PPH’s rate has been increasing since 2015, while Ontario’s rate has stayed relatively the same. [PHO 2]
• In 2018, 1022 naloxone kits were distributed by community sites and there were 761 interactions where training was provided. In 2017, community sites distributed 599 naloxone kits and there were 529 training interactions [PPH]. Peterborough area pharmacies distributed 1666 kits in 2018, compared with 1135 kits in 2017 [ODPRN 3].

Sources:

[ODPRN 1] – https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/opioid-mortality-surveillance-report.pdf?la=en
[ODPRN 2] – http://odprn.ca/research/publications/opioid-prescribing-in-ontario-august-2017/
[PHO] – https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/data-and-analysis/substance-use/interactive-opioid-tool; Date Extracted: Jun 25, 2019
[PHO 2] – https://www.publichealthontario.ca/data-and-analysis/infectious-disease/reportable-disease-trends-annually#/27; Date Extracted: Jun 28, 2019
**[CIHI] – Reviewed 15 communities in Ontario, with a population greater than 100,000 https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/opioid-related-harms-report-2018-en-web.pdf
[ODPRN 3] – https://odprn.ca/ontario-opioid-drug-observatory/ontario-prescription-opioid-tool/?ct=t(OPOT_Revision_April_2019); Date Extracted: Jun 28, 2019  
[IntelliHealth] – National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), IntelliHealth, Ministry of Health & Long Term Care, extracted July 2, 2019.

Many organizations across the City and County of Peterborough deliver a broad range of services to reduce the harms of drug use. These services include prevention programs, harm reduction services, and treatment programs.

Since 2009, our community has supported a comprehensive four pillar approach to drug and substance misuse through the Peterborough Drug Strategy. This includes:

• Prevention– e.g. Addressing root causes of drug use, supporting parents and youth with information about the dangers of substance use.
• Harm Reduction– e.g. Increasing needle recovery and disposal options.
• Treatment – e.g. Rapid Access Addiction Medical Clinics.
• Enforcement– e.g. Enforcement focus on drug trafficking; Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act.

For more information, visit the Peterborough Drug Strategy website at https://peterboroughdrugstrategy.com. For a timeline of initiatives to address the harms of opioid use up to the 2019 Community Engagement, visit our opioid response timeline.