Poilievre ‘perpetuating myths’ about supervised consumption sites: Prairie Harm Reduction

Prairie Harm Reduction is responding to national Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre’s comments connected supervised depletion sites, arguing they’re not based connected research.

Last week, nan Conservative leader took purpose astatine nan sites and nan organizations that tally them.

“You telephone them experts. They’re not experts. They’re master only astatine 1 thing, and that is perpetuating nan supplier crisis. Their policies person been implemented for nan past 9 years and we spot nan results,” nan Conservative leader said.

He added that he would for illustration each backing trim to nan sites and that nan attraction should beryllium moved to curen and recovery.

“That’s what you’re doing erstwhile you opportunity safe supply, it’s heroin-grade opioids that they want to springiness retired and it is being diverted to kids. It’s not safe. Since this argumentation was enacted, we person seen overdose rates much than double crossed Canada,” Poilievre said.

Prairie Harm Reduction, a Saskatoon supervised depletion tract and drop-in centre, said his statements are not based connected nan investigation that has been done connected specified sites.

It added that safe depletion sites could moreover see bars and clubs.

“Harm simplification isn’t conscionable astir safe depletion sites,” executive head Kayla Demong said. “If you deterioration a seatbelt successful your car today, that’s harm reduction. If you person a portion pinch your friends successful a bar, that’s a safe depletion site, right? That is utilizing intoxicant successful a spot that’s measurement safer erstwhile intoxicant utilized to beryllium prohibited and was illegal.”

Prairie Harm said nan investigation shows that supervised depletion sites trim overdose deaths by having aesculapian professionals astir to instantly intervene, trim illness transmission by providing cleanable instrumentality and safe disposal options, summation relationship to curen services arsenic unit tin supply referrals and assistance successful accessing supports, and will thief amended nationalist information and cleanliness by offering a safe spot for narcotics to beryllium consumed and disposed of.

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Prairie Harm said it has saved much than $40,000 successful ambulance rides and infirmary costs for nan state owed to nan attraction it tin supply astatine nan tract without needing EMS aliases infirmary attraction for overdoses.

“And nan existent communicative — and we person tons of investigation that supports this — is that constituent usage is simply a denotation and it’s often a denotation of trauma. And we don’t person nan supports successful spot to dainty nan trauma,” Demong said.

“We often deliberation that conscionable sending group to curen is nan solution, but it really is not curen arsenic portion of a continuum of care. But without that afloat continuum, group are not going to beryllium successful.”

Prairie Harm encourages Poilievre and his statement to sojourn a safe depletion tract and study much astir them and really they operate.

It asks that he and his statement publication nan “overwhelming evidence” of nan efficacy of nan sites and extremity “perpetuating myths and misconceptions” regarding nan sites and addictions.