In the battle against addiction in Canada, the MP for Windsor-Tecumseh believes the most important thing is saving lives.
Irek Kusmierczyk was responding to questions about the decision by the provincial government to ban consumption and treatment services sites within 200 metres of schools and child care centres nor provide funding for any new sites.
That means the SafePoint consumption and treatment site at Goyeau Street and Wyandotte Street in Windsor will not reopen.
SafePoint was opened in April 2023 without provincial approvals under a federal exemption from Health Canada, and had been shuttered since January waiting on provincial funding.
Kusmierczyk says they need to do whatever it is necessary to save lives.
"I don't think that there's any conflict between harm reduction and making sure that people get the help that they need. It's a piece of the puzzle, this is a complicated issue. Addiction is a complicated issue that is very difficult to solve," he said.
He says we need to make sure agencies and community partners are able to use all the available resources possible to save as many people as possible.
"Work with doctors, work with the healthcare community, work with local community partners and stakeholders. But we all have to work together to solve this issue, because again lives are at stake."
Kusmierczyk says it's crucial to work with healthcare professionals and those dealing with the situation on the ground to try and find solutions.
"This crisis that we do have in communities like ours, and across Canada, we need to use all the tools in the tool box. And supervised consumption sites are an important tool in that tool box," he said.
A statement was issued on behalf of health unit CEO Dr. Ken Blanchette on Wednesday as well, reading in part that they had received a formal letter from the Ministry of Health indicating the application from their agency had been declined.
While the operations at SafePoint were paused after eight months, in this time the site received over 1200 visits from 249 individuals and saved five lives through reversals of overdoses on site.
In addition, the site provided first aid, primary care services, drug testing, social services, and made 237 referrals for mental health and addictions treatment.
Blanchette's statement went on to say while the announcement is disappointing to them, officials have begun exploring what opportunities may be in place for the site and will be reaching out to partnering agencies to determine the best path forward for the community.
