I originally wrote this as a Twitter post, but decided not to post it as it became very long (as you can see), and I thought it might be better suited as a thought piece on my blog. Rather than posting for the entire community, who may or may not have something to speak on such issues, I think a little blog post for those who often come back here to enjoy my writing is the much preferred option. I say this with a half warning that my style of writing here may not be what you’re used to or what you’re expecting– being that I wrote it for Twitter. In any case, enjoy, and a moment for the addict who is still out there and is still suffering.
In case you didn’t know/ weren’t aware, the Somerset West Community Health Centre is set to close in Mar 2025 due to new provincial rules. It’s part of a broader move by the Ontario gov to shut down 10 sites across the province. This is a huge issue, & one that is near & dear to my heart as an (‘recovering’ let’s call it, for the sake of normies reading this) addict.
Why would they shut it down? The community doesn’t like it; point blank. Public safety concerns, particularly around ‘children’s safety’, are the reason for implementing the restrictions, despite the sites’ role in **PREVENTING overdose deaths** & offering harm reduction services. Kinda hard to believe they’d close it down then right?
Closing safe injection sites can have several serious consequences, namely an INCREASE in OD deaths, as the site’s provide an environment where medical professionals can intervene in the case of an OD. W/o the sites, people are more likely to use unsupervised, increasing the risk of fatal ODs, especially w/ the rise of fentanyl, et al.
Coming in at a close second, INCREASED public drug use. Taking away the site doesn’t mean the person goes away. Actually, the *opposite* happens, as the primary goal of safe injection sites is to take drug use off the streets. Closing the sites can lead to more public drug use in parks, streets, & other public spaces, which can create public health hazards & strain communities.
Now don’t tell me you don’t know someone who’s an addict. That’s like telling me you don’t know someone who’s a sw. We ALL know someone who struggles w/ addiction, whether we choose to accept it or not, expel them from our lives or not, support them or not, enable them or not— you get the gist. Just think about that person for a min, would you want them to loose access to support services that could potentially turn their lives around? Safe injection sites often connect individuals w/ addiction treatment, housing, & healthcare services. Without them, people who use drugs lose a vital POC w/ support systems that could help them transition to recovery.
You may not ‘approve’ of using drugs (as if addiction is a ‘choice‘), & that’s your prerogative— live your life the way *you* see fit. But that has no bearing on what another person does with their life, and certainly no reason to judge if you’ve never walked a day in an addicts shoes. We’re often stigmatized & isolated, but safe injection sites help reduce the stigma around drug use by providing a space where people can be treated w/ dignity & respect. Closing them can push individuals further into isolation & shame, discouraging them from seeking help or resources.
To make things worse, the operators of the sites weren’t even consulted before the announcement. Imagine the employees working there even, imagine how their lives have now changed. They put a lot on the line to be in that kind of work, & to find out via the NEWS that their place of work is closing, smh.
‘We are gravely concerned that the decision to defund and close consumption and treatment services will have devastating consequences for our community’ says Suzanne Obiorah, executive director of the Somerset site.
Apparently there’s a new initiative in the works, called HART, but it does not support harm reduction. ‘We need the full spectrum of supports to meet individuals where they are at if we’re truly talking about wanting to better support individuals on their pathway to recovery,’ says Suzanne Obiorah.
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with some of the staff of the Somerset site, some seem hopeful, some seem more than concerned; I guess we will have to see. Hopefully that takes off. But imo, this was a wrong move, terrible actually, and the community is going to suffer bc of it.