Searching for Solutions
As a former mayor of a mid-size city in Canada, I had a first hand account of the rise in social issues facing communities across North America. Searching for Solutions is about examining issues such as the housing crisis, homelessness, mental health, addictions and food insecurity to find disruptive solutions that are having a real impact. Each episode looks at an issue and features a guest that guides us through a problem to a solution. A great resource for people in communities looking how to make a difference at a time when many people are feeling helpless.
Searching for Solutions
What role do safe consumption sites play in addressing the opioid epidemic?
The opioid epidemic has gripped communities large and small across North America. The rapid rise of addictions has also created pressures on health care and addiction support systems. The introduction of safe consumption sites were created to provide a safe space for drug use that also offered opportunities for people to connect with care providers in ways that can't be done on the streets.
Talia Storm, Director of StreetWorks Services at Positive Living Niagara talks about how safe consumption sites work, and how harm reduction is a critical piece in creating pathways for people who are struggling with addictions.
St. Catharines was one of the first communities in Ontario to establish a safe consumption site. It has not been without its challenges, but the number of lives saved and impacted has far outweighed those challenges.