Courtesy Ensemble Moncton
An Overdose Prevention Site located in Moncton is expected to open this month.
The first of its kind in New Brunswick, the OPS is provided by Ensemble Moncton, a charitable non-profit organization.
“The Ensemble Overdose prevention site will be a welcoming safe, and supportive environment for people who use substances. It will provide a designated and supervised space for the consumption of uncontrolled substances and provides access to rapid intervention in the event of an accidental overdose,” Ensemble Moncton executive director Debby Warren told Moncton City Council on Monday night.
Overdose prevention sites are legally sanctioned sites for people to use drugs under the supervision of trained staff.
Warren said a common misconception is that the site provides substances to people, but in reality, they must be pre-obtained.
Among the services available to visitors of the OPS is sterile injection supplies, a nurse practitioner, a social worker and equipment to test the substances.
Warren told council the system takes a “speck” of the substances and uses it to identify any other medication potentially mixed in such as fentanyl. It was noted this could be useful if emergency services are needed, given they will know what substances have been consumed.
Located on the corner of Weldon Street and Gordon Street, councillors raised concerns over the effect the OPS could have on the surrounding community. Coun. Bryan Butler noted that issues surrounding public safety and drug use have been discussed at nearly every council meeting since June.
Warren acknowledged businesses and residents in the area could be worried about the increase in criminal elements but said the site is to support those without a place to go and will remove people off the street.
Operating hours for the site will be 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday due to funding.
The OPS is funded through the province after being recommended in the Inter-Departmental Addiction and Mental Health Action Plan released earlier this year.
According to Warren, New Brunswick has the second-highest injection drug-using population per capita in Canada, behind B.C.
Moncton will act as a “guinea pig” Warren said, developing a template with policies and resources for future sites in New Brunswick.
An evaluation of the site will be completed in March to determine if the program proceeds. Warren has faith the province would not invest money in the site, only to pull the plug a year later.
