More needles being returned to public health thanks to outdoor drop-off kiosks: Report

Outdoor needle drop-off sites have led to an increase in needles being returned to Region of Waterloo Public Health, a new report says.

In 2019, 77 per cent of needles distributed through the needle syringe program were returned. That's up from 72 per cent in 2018 and 46 per cent in 2017.

Outdoor "kiosks" are being credited with the jump in needle returns. The staff report, set to go before regional councillors during a committee meeting on Tuesday, said there are eight kiosks throughout the region that were installed in June 2017. Staff are now working to confirm locations for nine new kiosks, which were approved as part of the region's 2020 budget. 

The report notes there are other options for people to return needles, including in municipal buildings, pharmacies and private businesses, so "the return rate calculated for needle syringe programs is an underestimate of the actual rate of proper disposal."

In 2019, the needle syringe program had more than 25,000 client interactions. The staff reports notes 63 per cent of the people using the program identify as male while 31 per cent identify as female and the average age is 36.5 years old.

Needle pickup

The report also touches on the peer-based needle retrieval program called Working to Improve Neighbourhood Safety (WINS). There was a pilot project that ran from April 2018 to March 2019 by Sanguen Health Centre where peer workers were trained to search for needles and other harm reduction debris.

A review of that pilot project supported expanding it to the cores of Kitchener and Waterloo as well.

That program expansion has been on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but staff say they are working on an implementation plan which will be provided to council this fall.

CTS visits down

The COVID-19 pandemic was also part of the reason the consumption and treatment site at 150 Duke St. W., in Kitchener saw a drop in visits between March and June of this year, staff noted.

The reasons not as many people went to the site included the "relocation of people who are under-housed outside the downtown core, restrictions to the number of people permitted in the consumption space at one time and clients' fears about coming to the site and risking exposure to COVID-19."

But, staff noted, the number of unique clients "remained somewhat consistent" in the first six months.

In total, between January and June of this year, there were 71 overdoses, with almost 75 per cent of those happening between January and March.

Staff at the site also made 1,133 referrals to onsite and offsite supports, including mental health treatment, primary care and social services.

The Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy reports that as of July, there have been 708 overdose related calls throughout the region, down slightly from 772 for the same timeframe in 2019.

As of Aug. 5, 54 people have died from suspected overdoses in the region. In all of 2019, 63 people died from suspected overdoses.

Permanent site delayed

Construction of the permanent site has also been delayed. The permanent site was set to open in February, but because of "longer than anticipated wait time" for funding and the pandemic, the construction was postponed.

Permanent site construction began in May and is expected to be completed by November now. The main floor where consumption services will be located is expected to be completed next month and the second floor, which will include showers and washrooms, in October.

The temporary site has continued to operate at the same location.

To limit the number of people in the consumption area, Sanguen and the AIDS Committee of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Area (ACCKWA) relocated harm reduction education and supplies to the parking lot once construction got underway.

The staff report noted a decision on any consumption and treatment site in Cambridge has been delayed because council deferred any votes on it until after the ward 7 byelection is held. That byelection is expected to take place this fall.

Naloxone distribution

Naloxone is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose and kits are available through the region, pharmacies and Sanguen Health Centre.

More than 12,000 kits were distributed in 2019, about the same number as 2018, the region reports. Of those:

• 2,822 were through public health.
• 3,884 were distributed by Sanguen Health Centre.
• 5,460 were from pharmacies, which includes the Ontario Addiction and Treatment Centres and the Towards Recovery Clinic.