The Cowichan Valley is soon going to get its first overdose prevention site.
If you guessed that’s similar to a safe injection site for drug users, you are correct. The semantics are a matter of permissions and bureaucracy. The function of the site is the same.
So far, everyone in the know is being very cagey about where this site will go. They will only go so far as to say a number of sites in Duncan and North Cowichan are under consideration. Common sense tells us these sites will be in the urban core.
Not terribly surprising that nobody wants to get into trenches yet over the location. This will be the crux of the matter as far as the greater community is concerned.
There are some in the community, such as North Cowichan councillor Al Siebring, who think such a site shouldn’t exist anywhere, as it just facilitates drug use and provides no incentive for addicts to quit — the ultimate goal that everyone can agree upon, other than those parasites that are enriching themselves in the drug trade.
This kind of tough love approach certainly has some proponents. But making drug use more dangerous and harmful to people’s health than it inherantly already is has been unsuccessful to date — that’s how we’ve gotten to where we are now.
All of the research and data tells us that overdose prevention sites are good for the community. They save us money in the end and, first and foremost, they help to save lives.
Most people, once they hear the data and the arguments can be persuaded on the above points and agree, at least in principle, that such sites are useful.
But it boils down to this: nobody wants it set up next to their house, or their business.
And they have good reason to be NIMBYs.
These sites often attract people with a range of problematic behaviours, along with those addicts who are perhaps more successfully integrated into society. Fears of increased crime and vandalism, along with discarded drug paraphernalia are not to be taken lightly.
The choice of site will be key to how its recieved by the general public.
Choose carefully, guys. Or you may get people out waving placards.