July 27, 2019
Global News
Some in Peterborough are advocating for a consumption and treatment service site in the city as the number of opioid-related deaths in the area continues to climb.
Article Highlights:
In June, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith convened a group to put together an application to send to the province for a consumption and treatment service site. Smith also started a petition to convince the provincial government that Peterborough needs such a site, with the goal of getting 10,000 signatures.
“People are concerned about if there is an overdose site, if it’s downtown, where it needs to be. Does that create danger for other people? Actually, it increases community safety —crime rates go down, drug litter goes down. People know that they have a safe place to go where they are welcome and they are treated with respect and dignity. We are able to create more welcoming communities when we create welcoming programs.” - Kim Dolan, PARN (PDS Pillar Partner)
“We’re under no assumption that this one key piece is going to be what fixes everything. This is part of a really large strategy and continuum to a response to both the opioid crisis, addictions and, specifically right now, the drug poisoning issue that we have.” - Peter Williams, Peterborough Police Service (Chair of PDS)
Comments