The possible regulation of local methadone clinics and the likelihood of the establishment of a safe injection site in North Bay were hot-button topics raised by Coun. Mark King, also the chair of the board that oversees social services in the district, in a recent meeting at North Bay City Hall.
A wide range of topics — including how the sharps buy-back program failed — were covered. It was a meeting meant to clear the air between the parties and to clarify roles in various pressing health issues with members of the City of North Bay's Community Safety Well-Being ad hoc committee receiving a presentation from senior representatives from the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, followed by a question-and-answer session.
Committee member King told Medical Officer of Health Dr. Carol Zimbalatti and Katharine O'Connell, the Health Unit's harm reduction project manager he "hoped we would discuss methadone clinics. I'm very, very interested as to whether the Health Unit is involved in that process and what that really means."
"We're not involved in treatment," O'Connell replied flatly. "Methadone clinics are treatment-based," and those are services the Health Unit do not offer.
King then said to the group, "I think there is probably a place for this committee to look at by-laws with respect to the placement of methadone clinics, especially in the downtown core."
The ire from the public and downtown businesses over the operation of methadone treatment clinics at several locations in the city's core has existed for years.
Dr. Raffaele Dell'Aquila noted in a 2020 BayToday article 95 per cent of those who seek treatment using methadone are in real recovery and it is only 5 per cent of those getting treatment that are causing the problems. Dell'Aquila continues to practice from a downtown pharmacy.
See also: Pharmacist defends the reputation of local methadone clinics
King then shifted gears to safe injection sites, a topic that had been referred to in the earlier Health Unit harm reduction presentation.
See related: Supervised injection site in Timmins closes today
"Obviously, we watch what is happening in Timmins right now, that [safe injection site] closure," he said.
Sudbury's supervised consumption site closed in March after city officials declined to continue funding it and donor money dried up. Save for Thunder Bay, no sites remain in northern Ontario.
"It gets back to whether the municipality is prepared to actually finance it, King added, "and it gets back to the issue that we're all dealing with at this point: Who's going to pay the bill? We're dealing constantly with downloads from the province, and it's hurting our capacity to provide the basic services in communities. We need to be careful here."
Dr. Zimbalatti acknowledged King's comments and noted, "We are similarly burdened with one percent annual increases for the next two years, which does not cover inflation. We're all working with very limited means."
On the safe injection sites, O'Connell clarified they are provincial responsibility but applications and funding are on hold.
"That's why those sites are closed," O'Connell added, "because of that incident in Toronto."
According to the Health Unit, "A local task force comprised of community partners was established to assess the feasibility of establishing a safe consumption site for North Bay in 2022. Unfortunately, the lack of funding to support the start-up and long-term operation and staffing of a safe consumption site remains a barrier to having one established."
The Health Unit "continues to work together with community partners to prevent and reduce overdoses in the community, monitor current and emerging trends, reduce stigma, and increase access to naloxone and harm reduction services. We are also working with partners to address the factors that contribute to individuals starting to use substances, and to strengthen protective factors such as coping abilities, family and community belonging, safe, stable environments, and good standards of living."
