Duncan’s Overdose Prevention Site has been in the community for one month.
Island Health Medical Health Officer, Doctor Shannon Waters says the numbers have been low since the facility opened in mid-September.
Between January and August of this year, more than 820 deaths have resulted from illicit drug overdose deaths, with the Vancouver Island Health Authority seeing more than 140.
Waters says these facilities are emergency sites and aren’t subject to the same restrictions as the supervised consumption sites in other parts of the province.
The Overdose Prevention Site has private areas where people can use their substances, and staff members are there to help those who overdose.
Waters says the opioid overdose crisis prompted the decision to employ overdose prevention sites.
