Windsor 'months away' from potentially applying for supervised injection site

Ontario released a list this week of 15 approved supervised injection sites and Windsor wasn't on the list but that doesn't mean Windsor won't ever get one.

Six sites have been approved for the Toronto area, as well as one each in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston and Thunder Bay. Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said Windsor is likely months away from applying for a supervised injection site.

"The process is ongoing," saidAhmed. "They'll continue to accept applications."

More than 1,200 people died from overdoses in Ontario in 2017, and data shows more than 600 died in the first half of 2018.

By the numbers

According to Public Health Ontario data updated March 20, 2019, there were 28 opioid-related deaths in Windsor-Essex in the first nine months of the year.

• January: 2
• February: 3
• March: 5
• April: 0
• May: 4
• June: 2
• July: 7
• August: 5
• September: 0

Public Health Ontario data is not available for October through December of 2018.

Four people died from overdoses in Windsor in one weekend of November 2018. Ahmed said since then the health unit has changed how it works with the hospital to mitigate what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again. Ahmed said overdoses are "stable" but may rise as the weather warms up.

An analysis is currently underway to determine if Windsor should apply for an injection site or consumption treatment services.

Part of what the health unit is using in analysis is what's happening in other cities.

"There are other communities in Ontario who have been successful [with the sites]," said Ahmed. "We've been in contact with all of them."

Ahmed said that consulting with all the other communities will prepare Windsor in the event Windsor applies for a site.

"We'll be in a much better position to make our case," said Ahmed."It takes a community effort to move forward."

The health unit's annual report on the opioid strategy is expected later this month.