Insite - Toronto IV drug injection site being discussed.

[Eug]

Injection site for Toronto under study

Even as the future of Vancouver's controversial supervised drug injection site remains in doubt, a group of researchers are quietly studying whether Toronto and Ottawa would benefit from similar facilities.

The study, launched more than a year ago, will evaluate whether there is a need in the two cities for clean, staffed medical clinics where drug addicts can inject or use illegal drugs, including heroin and crack cocaine.

"This is not a study to see how to establish a site. This is a study to look at whether it makes sense to have a site or not, whether there should be one site or multiple sites or no sites, and whether the sites, if there should be any, should be fixed or mobile. We will be answering those types of questions," said Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi, a co-principal investigator of the study and scientist at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health at St. Michael's Hospital.

The feasibility study, dubbed the Toronto and Ottawa Supervised Consumption Assessment (TOSCA), was requested by the city. It stems from a recommendation in the Toronto Drug Strategy, which was approved by Toronto council in December 2005.

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I wonder if anything will come of this. I personally am not a supporter of this concept. I'm not a vehement antagonist either from the health point of view because there can possibly be some good that comes of it, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live near one. Yes, when it comes to something like this, I'd most definitely be a NIMBYer.

IMO if they do create a single Insite site in Toronto, it will only serve concentrate illicit drug use in that area. The NIMBYists would be very justified in their concerns. To limit such concentration of drug use, if they opened Insites they'd have to open a whole bunch of them simultaneously. However, that'd probably generate even more bad blood from the voting public.

 

[christiesplits]

I know there have been mixed results with the project across Canada.

Regardless of its effectiveness, there will be no shortage of NIMBYS once the site is proposed. It will make the Entertainment District shelter squabble look like a Sunday picnic.

 

[UserNameToronto]

Consider me a NIMBY, too. Especially given that there's almost a 100% chance this will be located in the Downtown Eastside.

There's already a methodone clinic in my 'hood (King East & Trinity) and to say it contributes little to the surroundings is an understatement. I'd rather have a parking lot or car dealership littered with needles!

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

obviously this needs to go into an area where there is alot of injecting going on. if people do their injecting in a proper building or site, i think there would be less needles littered about the streets.

 

[Roy G Biv]

Consider me a NIMBY, too. Especially given that there's almost a 100% chance this will be located in the Downtown Eastside.

There's already a methodone clinic in my 'hood (King East & Trinity) and to say it contributes little to the surroundings is an understatement. I'd rather have a parking lot or car dealership littered with needles!

Those people are already shooting up in your 'hood. Instead of back-alleys and parks, they'll do it inside. What's the big deal?

 

[UserNameToronto]

Those people are already shooting up in your 'hood. Instead of back-alleys and parks, they'll do it inside. What's the big deal?

It's not hard to imagine junkies from all corners of the city making special trips (or relocating) to make use of a site.

While the King East Meth clinic dispenses its junk inside, there are sketchy characters milling about outside on a regular basis, especially before opening in mornings. The impact of a clinic like this goes beyond its walls.

 

[whatever]

As a downtown eastsider I'm against it, too. There's this ridiculous closed circle of causality where someone argues that since there's already so many problems in the east end it's the logical place to put services catering to troubled persons. This then draws in larger numbers of troubled persons, which is then used as grounds for placing more social services in the area.

We all know if they did this it would be done on either Jarvis or Sherbourne, somewhere south of Gerrard. There's enough drug activity going on around here as it is, and it would only get worse if they opened a government sanctioned clinic where people could shoot up.

 

[Felino]

Unlike Vancouver, Toronto's drug users are crack users for the most part. Our heroin addicts prefer to smoke instead of injecting. It's not needed in Toronto.

 

[Felino]

It's common to come across needles in downtown Vancouver, in Toronto, never. In 35 years of living in Toronto I have never come across a needle.

And I live in the core, meaning very close to Yonge/Dundas. So I know what I say.

 

[js97]

Another play on ideology vs practibility. There is already a salvation army mobile shootup/drug cart just behind that food plaza at duncan and queen west.

I've lived in Toronto all my life in the core, gone to school @ jarvis collegiate/ heard about needle park allan gardens, yet I have yet to come across a syringe.

I don't think it's a large enough issue that we need to have these clinics in our city. I think it would just attract more addicts toi the city. Maybe city council is getting itchy about the welfare offloading surplus in the coming years that they need to find somewhere to blow it?

But if we really are going to have one, we shoudl have it in Etobicoke, right beside our dear mayors home... maybe he will have his whole family join in there for photo ops.

 

[ahm]

not that there's really much need for one, but i'm not averse to one in my neighbourhood. seriously, heroin addicts are way easier to deal with than crack or meth addicts. or even serious alcoholics.

 

[cgguy]

It's common to come across needles in downtown Vancouver, in Toronto, never. In 35 years of living in Toronto I have never come across a needle.

And I live in the core, meaning very close to Yonge/Dundas. So I know what I say.

Well then you aren't looking very hard. Just yesterday a friend of mine kicked a used needle on a sidewalk near Jarvis and front. I also used to see large numbers of disposed needles on the North side of the York/Lakeshore stacked parking garage while walking my dog. Stray a little farther East from Yonge and Dundas and I assure you that your scavenger hunt for used needles will be a short one.

I really don't see the point of providing a safe haven for drug use. Junkies will keep shooting up in public places regardless of injection sites. The Jarvis/Sherbourne stretch is finally showing positive signs of gentrification. Let's hope this plan gets turned down.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

there is a type of safety needle which can only be used once and can't prick anyone else after it's used. it think the main reason its use hasn't been adopted by hospitals is its higher cost compared to the ones in use.

alot of times, people are left in hospital/doctor areas where there is access to needles and nobody looking. i suspect that such situations are an opportunity for people to take needles. maybe we should at least leave the safety needles in such situations along with supplying them in places that hand out free needles.

p.s, if you never see any needles around on the floor, you're not paying good enough attention.

 

[toraerach]

I really don't see the point of providing a safe haven for drug use. Junkies will keep shooting up in public places regardless of injection sites. The Jarvis/Sherbourne stretch is finally showing positive signs of gentrification. Let's hope this plan gets turned down.

Safe injection sites can help reduce the spread of HIV and other diseases transmitted through blood. To prevent even one person from contracting HIV is well worth it.

Personally, I think it might be interesting to stick it down in PATH somewhere...

 

[Tza]

I have lived in both Toronto and Vancouver and yes I will admit we do not have the same issues of needles as they do but we still have a need. Many of you say you do not see needles? Well maybe not on the sidewalk of a main street but you have to understand that they shoot and toss the needle right away wherever they are at the current moment. Walk through rear laneways, green P lots, and parkettes and you will see plenty of them.

Someone mentioned that we have no IV drug users since Heroin is not the drug of choice on the streets of Toronto. Hate to break it to you but right now both Toronto & Montreal have a huge rise in junkies shooting coke as it gives an even stronger high then smoking crack does. Additionally, many drug users also shoot meth, oxy and other opiates.

The number one focus of safe injection sites is Public health and safety. And if that means preventing the rapid spread of HIV in our streets whether it be drug users or anyone else who could potentially come into contact with a needle, then it is a valuable resourse.