London's 2 permanent drug consumption sites get federal approval

London has secured federal approval for two permanent drug consumption facilities, officials announced Thursday morning.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection got word of the federal approval late Wednesday.

The city's temporary overdose prevention site, operating at 186 King St. since February, has also received approval to continue operating until the end of the year.

The two permanent sites are to be located at 446 York St. and 241 Simcoe St.The King Street facility will act as an interim facility until the York Street site is operational, officials said.

Federal approval was necessary for the sites to be considered under Ontario's new Consumption and Treatment Services model, announced last week by provincial Health Minister Christine Elliott.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. ChrisMackiesaid it's an important first step in preventing fatal overdoses.

"This is a really positive development," he said. "We were concerned about having a break in service at some point which would break the trust of with our clients. That's not going to happen now. This really ties that loose end up."

Federal approval for drug use sites

6 years ago

Duration 7:39

Brian Lester of Regional HIV/AIDS Connection explains how he sees similarities between the opioid crisis and the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980s.

Mackie said staff at the King Street site havereversed more than 40 potentially fatal overdoses since it opened. Also, hundreds of clients have been referred to addictions treatment, housing and health care services.

Brian Lester of Regional HIV/AIDS Connection says any service break would have put lives at risk.

"More people would be dying in our community if we weren't able to continue this service, that's for certain," he said.

And although Ottawa's blessingis a crucial step, Mackieadmits that other hurdles remain.

Municipal approval could be 'challenging'

He said getting municipal approval may require the most work.

"It could be a challenging process," he said.

The health unit has submitted zoning applications to the city for the permanent sites. That's expected to take a few months with construction potentially beginningin 2019.

Provincial approval is also pending. The province's operating rules were sent to MLHU this week, and Mackiesaid they appear to be in line with how the temporary site currently operates.

Mackie said the SimcoeStreet site, which will be located in an existing Middlesex and London Housing Corporation building, will require more work to get approval that York Street.

"There's a lot of support there but a lot of peopleeither are concerned about how it might impact them or have questions about how the sites operate, so there are more conversations to be had there," he said.

Mackie said getting the permanent sites approved is only the first step in setting up an effective response to the opioid crisis currently taking a toll on London. He said more treatment services and better co-ordination for the services that already exist are both needed.

In the 10 months since the temporary site has been operating, the situation on the streets hasn't improved, Mackie said.

One challenge staff are dealing with is the arrival of bootleg fentanyl, which is more dangerous than prescription opioids.

Batches of it turn upintermittently, and with deadly consequences.

"It introduces a whole new level of risk," said Mackie. "It's much harder to get a dose that will get you high but not kill you because of the concentration of that drug."