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NOVEMBER 2, 2017 | Volume 30 No. 131
Almost 2,000 visits to supervised drug use RV JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
DAVE EAGLES/KTW
Interior Health’s supervised drug use RV parks at an overdose prevention site at the Crossroads Inn, at Seymour Street and Sixth Avenue in downtown Kamloops.
Interior Health is apologizing and reiterating a commitment to communicate with others about the supervised drug use RV in Kamloops following frustration voiced at Monday’s co-ordinated enforcement task force meeting. “We’re really sorry to hear that there are concerns. We’ve had a lot of meetings with community partners to make sure they’ve got the most up-to-date information . . . .” said Rae Samson, IH administrator for quality practise and substance use services. “We wanted to convey that we’re very committed to working with stakeholders and the partners. We want to make sure we’re going to stay very engaged.” Samson said she was to meet Tuesday afternoon with North Shore Business Improvement Association executive director Steven Puhallo, who expressed concern about not getting information from IH about how often the RV is being visited and what it is doing to address concerns of businesses in the Tranquille Market area, where it parks. “We’ll figure out a strategy to respond,” she said. As for the updated stats, Samson said IH agreed to report mobile unit usage information as part of the communication action team (CAT), which addresses social issues alongside the city, RCMP, non-profits and other partners.
BY THE NUMBERS July to end of September statistics: • Visits to the RV sites: 1,882 • Contacts through outreach: 2,815 • Used substances at site: 119 • Nursing services provided: 130 • Client visits where harm reduction supplies given out: 3,794 • Naloxone kits distributed: 1,009 • Referrals to opioid agonist therapy, such as methadone or Suboxone: 76 • Referrals to other services: 468 • Overdoses treated and reversed: 21 September statistics: • Visits to the RV sites: 445 • Contacts through outreach: 1,138 • Used substances at site: 43 • Nursing services provided: 34 • Client visits where harm reduction supplies given out: 1,051 • Naloxone kits distributed: 357 • Referrals to opioid agonist therapy, such as methadone or Suboxone: 26 • Referrals to other services: 152 • Overdose treated and reversed: 1 July 24 marked the last time the CAT committee met and its next meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 6. “With the fires over the summer, there was a bit of a gap in the meetings,” Samson said. On Monday, ASK Wellness director Bob Hughes said Interior Health should be at the
table during the monthly coordinated enforcement meetings and Mayor Ken Christian said he would press the issue of having a medical health officer sit in. While invited to attend as a guest, Samson said IH has never before been asked to be a regular participant. “We’re working towards having a seat at the co-ordinated enforcement meetings,” she said. Samson said IH will work out an agreement to also provide information to agencies between meetings. Meanwhile, almost 2,000 visits have been made to the RV, which stops at the Crossroads downtown and at ASK Wellness on the North Shore, from the time it hit the road in July to the end of September. In addition, more than 1,000 Naloxone kits have been distributed, 76 people have been referred to be prescribed methadone or Suboxone (in place of opioids) and 21 overdoses have been treated. Asked to provide context for those numbers, Samson said there is no baseline because the service is new. Kamloops and Kelowna were approved for the first supervised injection sites in B.C. outside of Insite, which is located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. “We’re very pleased with the uptake so far,” Samson said, noting in particular people who have been referred for other services.
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