Visits to Montreal's supervised injection sites more than doubled in first year

The number of visits to Montreal's supervised injection sites more than doubled since the facilities first opened last summer.

Officials recorded more than 2,500 visits to the city's four safe injection sites last month, compared to 1,189 visits in July of last year, according to data released by the regional health authority (CIUSSS).

"We had over 20,000 injections in the injectionroomssince we started the project," said Dr. Carole Morissette,the medical chief for Montreal Public Health,during a press conference at a downtown CLSCon Monday.

"We're very happy with this first year of operation," Morissette said.

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Four safe-injection sites in the city

Montreal is home to four safe injectionsites, where medicalstaff is on-hand to supervise injections and intervene in case of overdoses.

Community groups CactusMontrealandSpectre de rue run twosites downtown, whileDopamine operates another site in the east end.

L'Anonyme, a local group that works to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted and other diseases, also runs a mobile site that goes aroundthe downtown and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve areas.

In total, 876 people have used the sites since they first opened last year, theCIUSSSsaid.

A large majority (83 per cent) of the site's users are men, and 70 per cent of users have been injecting drugs for five years or more. Forty per cent of people who use the safe-injection sites inject drugs every day, while two out of three inject at least once a week.

Morissettesaid medical staff intervened in 39 emergency situations at the sites over the last year.

They haveadministered oxygen, called 911 and placed individuals in an ambulance, and nurses have also administered naloxone, a drug that temporarily reverses the effects of fentanyl.

"Most of these situation were treated in the injecting room. That's one of our objectives to help people here with the nurses,"she said.

Project expanding next month

The presence of safe injection sites had raised concern among someMontrealers, including parents who disagreed with their proximity to local schools.

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However, Montrealpolice said there's been no increase in crimesaround any of the injection sites.

"There's no difference in the crime rate in the area," saidSimon Durocher of the SPVM.

Next month, thesites will launch a six-month, pilot project called "assistant injection," Morissettesaid.

Under the new program, family members or friends will be allowed to enterthe injection rooms to help administer the injections to people who have troubling doing so themselves.

"With this new project a drug user can come with another person who can help [them]inject," Morissette said.