The MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh is calling for more overdose prevention sites to deal with the opioid crisis in places like Windsor.
In question period on Tuesday, Percy Hatfield said that Doug Ford’s cap on the number of overdose prevention sites is wrong, and it prevents communities like Windsor from providing desperately needed services, such as a way to test street drugs for fentanyl to prevent fatalities.
“The new application guidelines the ministry has put forward will make it next to impossible for some overdose prevention sites to continue and the arbitrary cap will make it next to impossible for new sites to open,” said Hatfield. “In Windsor, we need a sanctioned site where people can test their street drugs for fentanyl and other toxic chemicals to avoid more horrific fatalities."
The Ford government halted the opening of new overdose prevention sites throughout the province for months and has now capped the number of sites at 21.
Hatfield said more resources are needed to help communities cope with the escalating opioid epidemic. He added that gaps in harm-reduction based treatments must be filled and more outreach workers and mental health and addiction supports must be provided to save lives.
A Public Health Agency of Canada study released on Tuesday shows that an average of 10 people die of an overdose every day in Canada and the demographics of those fatalities is wide-ranging.
