Winnipeg needs program to provide managed doses of alcohol for addicts, feasibility study says

Winnipeg needs a managed alcohol programforchronic alcoholics experiencing homelessness, a new feasibility study finds.

While many shelters enforce abstinence from alcohol, areport from the non-profit Sunshine House is recommendinga treatment program wherealcoholics living on the street won't be turned away if they won't or can't stop drinking.

Nomanaged alcohol programsare currently in place in Manitoba which, if established, would effectively actas a supervised consumption site for alcoholics by providing a daily dosage of alcohol to participants.

A managed alcohol program may be a residential program where alcohol is dispensed in doses at an on-site residence, which might offer shelter services or may be a drop-in model, wherealcohol is dispensed throughout the day with drop-in programming.

The report, released publicly on Friday, suggests Winnipeg requires a"pilot day program with strong housing supports." It estimates the yearly cost at $600,000 to $1 million, operated by health-care aides or facility staff.

"I really believe in a harm-reduction model. I really believe that people who are impacted are the ones who have all the lessons to teach us," saidMargaretBryans, the registered nurse who authoredthe study.

After 12 weeks of research, she says herfindings were influenced by people living on the street and their supporters. Through them, Bryansdetermined acommunity-centred and stigma-free treatment program would work locally.

Participants in the studyexpressed support for both a residential model and adrop-in model that included housing supports, her report says.

Her report focuses more on the people such a program would aim to help, and those who would work with them,thanstatistics.

"Nurses and doctors are really super excitedto tell you that we researched it all and we did a lot of evidence-searching, but the truth is the people who are doing this work on the ground are peoplewho are most impacted and the very front-line workers," she said.

Bryanssaid people in need are getting alcohol somehow, with or without a managed alcohol facility.

I really believe that people who are impacted are the ones who have all the lessons to teach us.- Report author MargaretBryans

"All we are doing is creating a context and an environment where peoplecan do the things they want to do" safely, she said.

This form of harm prevention already exists inToronto,Ottawa and Vancouver, and will soon in Montreal.

Sunshine House, a Winnipegdrop-in centre focused on harm reduction, began considering the idea in 2016 to support its participants who drink chronically and may not have a safe place to go to avoid withdrawals.

Bryansshared the story ofa person who compared being spurned by a dry shelter to a cancer patient finding out that theirchemotherapy is failing them.

"You wouldn't give up on them," Bryanssaid.

Skeptic is convinced

Damon Johnston, chair of the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, wasskeptical when he first heard of managed alcohol programs, butwas convinced when he saw one in action in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"When I came away from it, I was quite pleased with what I saw and actually convinced that for some people, it's a much better way to approach their issues," he said in an interview.

Johnston said the hurdle in Manitoba isgovernment funding. The province has thus far dismissed calls for a supervised injection site for people struggling with drug addiction, citing a lack of evidence.

As far as the need for a harm-reduction site for alcoholics, Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said Friday he wants to learn more about the proposal.

"We're all focused on cannabis right now, but alcohol is the major problem," he said.

Bryanswants the province to put up money to help people dependent on alcohol.

"I think we need to try something. The best approach in a pilot is to actually run the tests," she said.

"If folks down there [at the ManitobaLegislature]care nothing about anything but numbers, then we need to run a pilot to see if things are cost-effective or not."

A Canadian research studyfound participants in a managed alcohol program had fewer hospital visits, detox episodes and police contacts leading to custody than those who went without.

Winnipeg needs program to provide managed doses of alcohol for addicts

6 years ago

Duration 2:11

Winnipeg needs a managed alcohol program for chronic alcoholics experiencing homelessness, a new feasibility study finds.