Region moving ahead with supervised consumption sites while overdose prevention sites in limbo

Waterloo region will continue with itsplans for two supervised consumption siteseven though the province has announced it's putting any newoverdose prevention site approvals on hold.

Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care saidlate Fridaythe move to put overdose prevention site (OPS) approvals on hold is effective immediately while staff review the program.

• Ontario puts new overdose prevention sites approvals on hold
• Region adds 2 more possible locations for supervised consumption site

Karen Quigley-Hobbs,director of infectious disease, dental and sexual health for the region, told CBCK-Wthe province's decision doesn't directly affect the region's plan for supervised consumptions ites(SCS) andthey plan to move forward.

"We have a critical situation here in Waterloo with the number of opioidoverdoses continuing toincrease and we need to continue to move thisimportant work forward while we await for the direction from the province," Quigley-Hobbs said.

A report being presented to the region's community services committee on Tuesday morning, said staff have recently added two new possible locations for a SCS, bringing the total number of potential sites to fivethree in Kitchener and two in Cambridge.

'Doesn't make any sense'

Sanguen Health Centre has wanted to open an OPSsince theapproval process started, said Violet Umanetz, manager of outreach, education and prevention at Sanguen.

Sanguenhoped to helpthe community transition toward the region's permanentSCSand to help keep people whouse drugs safe.

• What's the difference between a supervised consumption site and an overdose prevention site?

But the health centrewas not able to send an application into the province before OPSapprovals wereput on hold, largely because they hadn't foundan ideal location.

Umanetzsaid she doesn't agree with the province's move to stop approvals. She hopes Health Minister Christine Elliott's review is done quickly and that it shows the need for these kinds of services.

"To have [OPS] cut, even temporarily, is really difficult for most service providers to wrap our heads around. It doesn't make any sense," Umanetz said.

"Bluntly put, we're going to see people continue to die from something completely preventable."