Close up of hands placing metal spring in tin foil while holding lighter, in preparation for smoking fentanyl.
Alberta’s seven supervised consumption sites lack something advocates say would save lives — a room where users can inhale drugs, with medical staff ready to intervene if they ingest a poisoned batch that could kill them.A person placing a metal spring in tin foil while holding a lighter, in preparation for smoking fentanyl.
Alberta used to have inhalation rooms. The supervised consumption site in Lethbridge, run by a non-profit group named ARCHES, had two of them until it was closed by the United Conservative Party government in 2020.2 years in, Yukon's supervised consumption site is a proven success, officials say "As there may be significant costs associated with these proposals, this is something that would need to be evaluated by the ministry prior to moving forward," Baril said in a statement.In Edmonton, Radius Community Health, formerly known as the Boyle McCauley Health Centre, runs a supervised consumption site that has approval from both the provincial and federal governments.
An inhalation room would help reduce harm to users, and help connect them with other services ranging from health care to housing, Smith said. "A lot of the folks that access services often do both," DeMong said. "A lot of them are choosing to smoke fentanyl. It's an alternative if they're having infections or issues with their veins."Supervised inhalation sites take surprising forms in B.C. amid challenges setting them up
The cut in hours comes at the same time demand has skyrocketed. DeMong doesn't know what's driving the sudden surge in demand. The centre is starting a survey this week to learn more.Elaine Hyshka is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation at the University of Alberta School of Public Health.
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