The desperate need for safe consumption sites in Alberta

The need for safe consumption sites in Alberta Outreach groups all over Alberta are applying to open supervised consumption sites

Alberta continues to face an opioid epidemic with deaths from accidental overdoses increasing by 40 per cent in 2017. As a result, organizations from all over Alberta are applying to open their own supervised consumption sites: both mobile and stationary.

HIV North in Grand Prairie hopes to have a supervised consumption site approved by mid-April; preferably a mobile unit. HIV North favors the idea of a mobile unit to accommodate Grande Prairie’s need for supervised consumption services in multiple locations.

While a similar organization in Red Deer is hoping to provide supervised consumption services in their current downtown location. In a survey done by Turning Point, 97% of their clients said they prefer to have the site at Turning Point’s current location, in which they are familiar with. While 70% said they would consider using a mobile unit.

Regardless of the approach, both cities are desperate to create safe and supervised consumption sites.