our next steps

Details: Published on Friday, 01 April 2016 16:30; Written by editor

our next steps

Dear supporter ~

Our townhall meeting on February 24th was a full house, a strong showing of support for SCS in Victoria. The resounding message was that we need to move forward immediately to prevent overdose deaths, and to increase access to health services, counseling and treatment. There was also a lot of curiosity about what services should look like in Victoria.

To that end, we're excited to announce that we are collaborating with Dr. Thomas Kerr and the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS on a survey of service users in Victoria. Kerr, who played a key role in supporting the opening of Insite, is now supporting similar research in Thunder Bay and London, Ontario. Bruce Wallace, Assistant Professor at UVic and steering committee member of yes2scs, will be conducting the research in partnership with the yes2scs peer advisory committee and UVic’s Centre for Addictions Research of BC (CARBC).

The aim of the study is to hear from potential service users to make sure services are designed to meet the needs of those who could be using them. Information gained from the research will direct the development of a made-in-Victoria model for SCS as we begin discussions with local service delivery organizations, and as we complete our application for a federal exemption.

While these are promising steps forward, community-driven work can only get us so far. Eleven people have died from overdose in Greater Victoria since December, and this trend is not changing.

We're asking supporters to send a clear message to Island Health that this service must be a public health priority, and that we know the health authority is capable of committing the funding needed to provide these services. Given the support for SCS at Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels of government, it is unconscionable to allow one more preventable death in Victoria.

yes2scs is a community campaign to ensure SCS are established and operating in Victoria in 2016. Our commitments include:
* facilitating a process to ensure adequate funding, appropriate services and locations, and a service provider who makes certain these services are trauma informed and culturally safe.
* continuing our work on the Federal Exemption process.
* continuing to work with all levels of government and key stakeholders on this goal and timeframe.
* ensuring people who use illicit drugs and organizations of people who use drugs are fully involved in these processes.
* recognizing the limits of SCS to prevent all OD deaths by continuing to respond to the harm caused by the criminalization of people who use drugs.

Support the implementation of supervised consumption services in Victoria
* Send letters to Island Health officials to demand action
* Join our growing list of supportive organizations
* Show your individual support by uploading a 'I support' photo
* Visit our website for resources about SCS
* Like and share content from our Facebook Page
* Follow us and re-tweet us on Twitter
* Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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