There were five overdoses at SafePoint, Windsor's consumption and treatment site (CTS), in its final two months of operation.&nbsp;

All of the overdoses were non-fatal. Four of the five overdoses at SafePoint were treated on-site, while one person was taken to hospital, according to new data from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit. Two overdoses occurred in December, with three in November.&nbsp;

Over the eight months that SafePoint was open, nearly 250 people visited a total of 1,200 times.&nbsp;

SafePoint pause putting lives at risk, advocates say

The pause in operations at Windsor's SafePoint consumption site means the community will "see people die as a result of this decision," advocates say as the site stopped operations on Jan. 1. 

A building sits in front of a traffic crossing, with a sign that reads SafePoint.

SafePoint is Windsor's drug consumption and treatment site. Right now, it's operating with federal government approval as an urgent public health needs site.

SafePoint

As Ontario reviews its drug consumption sites, Windsor still waits for SafePoint approval

Amid a "critical incident review" of Ontario's drug consumption and treatment sites, Windsor's SafePoint is still awaiting approval — which would come with much-needed funding. 

A building with a sign that reads, 'SafePoint.' 

SafePoint opened Wednesday for the first time. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare did not comment on how the first day went or how many people used the site.

Safepoint

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says it applied to the provincial government for a drug consumption and treatment services site in the summer of 2022. 

Clients were able to access social supports in the space including wound care and referrals to other services.&nbsp;

SafePoint closed on Jan. 1 after not receiving funding from the provincial government.&nbsp;

The province announced last year it would pause approvals on all new&nbsp;consumption and treatment site applications after a Toronto woman was killed by an errant bullet near a downtown Toronto site.&nbsp;

According to the health unit, its provincial application is still awaiting approval.&nbsp;

"The application at this point in time as&nbsp;we stand here today, it continues to be on hold," Eric Nadalin, the health unit's director of public health programs, said Thursday. "Certainly, we're optimistic that we hear soon about the results of their provincial review and get some good news about the future of the site.&nbsp;

While the site remains closed, Nadalin said they've met with regular clients of SafePoint and talked through their options for while SafePoint is closed.&nbsp;

"Obviously, SafePoint was the only site that was operating supervised consumption in the region," he said. "But there are other things like harm reduction equipment ...&nbsp;test strips that people can access to test their substances before using them.

"Working with all of our partners to make sure that our community wraps wraps ourselves around those clients, so that they continue to be supported although the supervised consumption component won't be there — which is pretty critical for them."

Province says timeline unclear for decision on Windsor's supervised consumption site

SafePoint has been open since April, primarily operating on funding from the local health unit. Ontario's associate minister of mental health and addictions says it's still unknown when a decision will be made on applications, including Windsor's.

Several booths with chairs behind desks. 

Supervised booths are provided at SafePoint 101 Wyandotte East, where individuals can use substances in a controlled environment. 

Supervised booths

Windsor's SafePoint is 'safe,' says health unit amid provincewide review

In its first six months of operation, SafePoint — Windsor's first and only drug consumption and treatment site — has called emergency services twice, according to the health unit.  

Nadalin said "lives were saved" as a result of SafePoint.&nbsp;

"Those services won't be there going forward until such time that we receive word from the province on the resumption of their review of the applications," he said.&nbsp;

SafePoint first opened in Windsor on April 26, pictured in a 2023 file photo.

5 overdoses, none fatal, at SafePoint in 2 months before site closed: Health unit

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