City of Hamilton Seeks Feedback on Supervised Injection Sites

HAMILTON, ON – Wednesday, October 5, 2016 -The City of Hamilton is conducting an online survey of people who live and work in Hamilton regarding supervised injection sites (SISs). The survey is available from October 5 to 26, 2016 by visiting www.hamilton.ca/VAN.

Survey feedback will help inform next steps as the city considers conducting a study to better understand the need in the community and whether SISs would be an effective service to support community and individual health in Hamilton. A fully costed community needs assessment and study will be considered through the 2017 Capital Budget process.

City of Hamilton Comprehensive Approach to Drug and Substance Misuse

Locally Public Health Services uses the Four Pillar approach to guide work to decrease the risks of drug and substance misuse in Hamilton and optimize health in the community. The Four Pillar approach involves: Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Enforcement.

The Harm Reduction approach acknowledges that people do use drugs and is about preventing the harms caused by drug use through interventions to decrease the health effects and keep individuals, families, and the community safer. Immediate goals of harm reduction include saving lives, decreasing disease, and improving public spaces; while longer-term goals may help clients to better engage in the health or social service system leading to the potential to decrease or stop drug misuse. 

Current Public Health activities that support harm reduction include:

• Providing free condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections
• A needle syringe program (safe injection supplies for intravenous drug users); Safe inhalation kits for inhalation drug users
• Community Points (needle retrieval program)
• Take-home naloxone program to treat opioid overdose
• HIV and hepatitis C testing

These services are available through fixed sites such as needle exchange sites and the  Street Health Centre, and the mobile Van. Key community partners supporting harm reduction activities include The AIDS Network, Shelter Health Network, Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre, Elizabeth Fry Society, and Wesley Urban Ministries.

For more information visit the Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Clinic Program.