A Safe Injection Site Is Essential For Esquimalt And Victoria

In 2015, Victoria, BC saw an increase in drug overdoses throughout the city including one death occurring in Esquimalt (Times Colonist, 2015). Drug-related overdose fatalities are preventable if the population has access to services that would minimize the risk of an overdose. Through the assessment of the community of Esquimalt, I am proposing that there is a need to establish a safe injection site to prevent accidental overdoses, as well as provide social services for detoxification and rehabilitation programs. It is necessary to note that Victoria and Esquimalt are not differentiated when studies are done. Therefore, the extrapolation of accurate drug use statistics for Esquimalt is not available. For the purpose of this paper, Victoria†¦show more content†¦In addition, drug-related deaths have occurred in this community. Therefore, a safe injection site is a priority for Esquimalt. Moreover, safe injection sites have been proven to save taxpayer’s dollars. Accordi ng to Kerr and Woods (2009), an individual who uses intravenous drugs has an increased risk of contracting HIV. The lifetime cost of HIV per person is approximately $150,000. However, with proper intervention to decrease HIV rates, the healthcare system saves $130,000. This injection site I am proposing would be modeled after the InSite program in Vancouver. Pinkerton (2011) reports that this program has saved taxpayers $1.9 million a year in HIV and overdose-related health costs. Therefore, a program like this in the community would be beneficial because it will ensure the marginalized members of the community are receiving care, but also decrease spending on future health care costs related to disease and overdose. Drug Addiction in Esquimalt While doing research on this community, it became apparent that the public has access to many different social services that have helped the residents achieve wellness (Abra et al., 2016), including Edgewood Health Network, a rehabilitation centre for addictions and mental health. However, there is no support for people who are currently active drug users or have relapsed (Edgewood Health Network, n.d). Studies have shown that relapsed users have an increased risk of