The Barrie Health Accord’s senior leadership team has issued an "urgent" letter to all levels of government urging speedy approval of the supervised consumption site (SCS) application at 11 Innisfil St., in Barrie.
The leaders signing the letter are Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman, SImcoe County Warden George Cornell, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre president Janice Skot, Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood, and Simcoe-Muskoka medical officer of health Dr. Charles Gardner.
As the opioid crisis escalates, the signatories of the Accord say they are aware that Barrie has been "disproportionally" affected by a significant raise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths.
"The numbers paint a grim picture, especially within the context of the COVID 19 pandemic," the group says in a news release. "There were 58 opioid deaths in Barrie in 2020, more than double the 26 from 2019, and 85 per cent higher than the average from 2017-2019."
The crude opioid mortality rate for Barrie in 2020 was 38 deaths per 100,000 population, which was the third highest among all municipalities in Ontario with populations over 100,000 residents.
An SCS provides a safe space and sterile equipment for individuals to use pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of health-care staff. Consumption refers to taking opioids and other drugs by injection, smoking, snorting, or orally.
Accord members say they are joining forces to call on the provincial and federal governments to immediately approve the SCS application.
“This facility is needed immediately to prevent deaths due to poisoned drugs and help get people into treatment," Lehman said.
The Barrie Health Accord, which was formed in October 2020 with all five organizations signing the 10-year agreement, says it is focused on the long-term health of the community.
The Simcoe County branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), in partnership with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, submitted formal applications to Health Canada in early October for exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), as well as to the provincial government for funding approval, for the proposed SCS on Innisfil Street.
Barrie city council provided its endorsement for the Innisfil Street location on May 31, 2021.
