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鉴于多伦多在过去10年过量吸毒死亡的人数增加了41%，多伦多市卫生委员会将在3月21的会议上提出一份关于设立受监管毒品注射站益处以及如何实施的报告。
多伦多医官Dr. David McKeown认为，研究显示，受监管毒品注射站可以挽救生命，减少过量吸毒，限制和血液相关疾病的传播。
三个建议的地点是：Yonge-Dundas Square附近、位于维多利亚街的的多伦多公共卫生局楼，Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre 和 South Riverdale Community Health Centre。
市政府将举行公众会议，介绍有关设立受监管毒品注射站的信息，并听取市民的看法。
Given a 41 per cent increase in the reported number of overdose deaths in Toronto over the past decade and concern about the increasing role of opioids such as heroin and fentanyl, a report will be presented to the Toronto Board of Health on the health benefits of supervised injection services. The report, which will be presented to the Toronto Board of Health at its March 21 meeting, includes next steps to implement supervised injection services in Toronto.
"The overdose rates we're seeing in Toronto are the highest annual number to date," said Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David McKeown. "Research shows that supervised injection services save lives, reduce drug overdoses and limit the spread of blood-borne diseases. I am therefore recommending that these important health services be integrated into existing harm reduction programs in Toronto where the need is greatest."
Supervised injection services are health services that provide a safer and hygienic environment for people to inject pre-obtained drugs under the supervision of a nurse.
International research shows that supervised injection services have benefits both for individuals using the services and for the community, including:
• reducing the number of drug overdoses and saving lives
• reducing risk factors that lead to infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis
• increasing the use of detox and drug treatment services
• connecting people with other health and social services
• reducing the amount of publicly discarded needles
• contributing to cost effectiveness, and
• not contributing to crime or increased drug use in the local community.
Conditions in Toronto support the need for these health services. There were more than 100,000 client visits to harm reduction services across the city in 2015, and almost 1.9 million needles were distributed along with other sterile injection supplies. Rates of HIV and Hepatitis C among people who inject drugs are higher than for the general population. A recent Toronto study found 36 per cent of people who were injecting drugs injected in public places such as washrooms and alleyways.
Toronto Public Health (The Works), Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre, and South Riverdale Community Health Centre are planning to add small-scale supervised injection services to their existing clinical health services for people who inject drugs. These health agencies are three of the busiest needle distribution programs, accounting for almost 75 per cent of all needles distributed in Toronto.
"Adding supervised injection to the existing harm reduction services at these agencies will save lives and help to reduce public drug use and discarded needles in the community," added Dr. McKeown.
Public meetings are being planned to provide information about these new services and to hear about any issues or concerns from the community. A report summarizing community input and outlining further steps in the process for implementing supervised injection services in Toronto will be submitted to the July 2016 meeting of the Board of Health.
More information is available at http://bit.ly/1UPXIk8.
（Source：The City of Toronto）
相关链接：
Three downtown sites pegged for potential safe-injection services
"The proposed sites in Toronto are at the Toronto Public Health building on Victoria Street near Yonge-Dundas Square, at the Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre and South Riverdale Community Health Centre. According to Toronto Health, these three locations are already have the busiest needle distribution programs, accounting for about 75 per cent of all needles distributed in Toronto." |
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