Study looking into feasibility of supervised injection sites in London to be released

published on February 6, 2017 by Staff in Global News

The findings of a year-long feasibility study into the issue of setting up supervised injection sites in London will be made public this week.

The Regional HIV/Aids Connection (RHAC) and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) launched the study just over a year ago to determine whether drug users in London and Thunder Bay, the other city involved in the study, would use the services, and to gather feedback from community stakeholders.

Dr. Thomas Kerr, the study’s principal investigator, will present the report’s findings at an invite-only report launch Wednesday morning at the London Public Library’s Central branch. The findings will be made available online shortly thereafter.

Federal and provincial politicians are slated to attend the presentation, which will run from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Stevenson & Hunt Room at the library. OHTN and RHAC officials and representatives from the Middlesex-London Health Unit and the London Area Network of Substance Users will also be on hand, according to an OHTN media advisory.

Supervised injection sites aim to create a safer environment for drug users by providing clean needles, nurses who can intervene in case of overdose and services that can help with the recovery process. Researchers say the sites can save lives and improve the health of the community by preventing the spread of disease, but many remain opposed to them, concerned about the sites enabling drug use and attracting criminal activity.