Local health officials will be taking a closer look at harm reduction services are delivered at Chatham’s transitional cabin project.
In a motion presented at last night’s council meeting, North Kent representative Rhonda Jubenville requested a review of the alignment of harm reduction service delivery at Pathways on Park and its impact on the surrounding community.
According to the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit, harm reduction services includes policies and practices to make dangerous or risky activities safer, such as providing clean needles and syringes, safe needle drop-off spots, and information on safer substance use and safe sex.
Chatham-Kent’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said harm reduction services are just one piece of the puzzle in supporting those with addiction.
“The real goal to help people is to keep them alive for one more day,” Nesathurai said. “And if it’s one more week, that gives them, hopefully, the chance to be at the point where they want treatment and ultimately with treatment and support, they get clean and sober.”
Councillor Brock McGregor suggested referring the motion to the Board of Health for further discussion.
“We would be more than happy to discuss this at the Board of Health table,” said McGregor, who serves as chair of the board.
“It’s a topic we discuss often, and I think there is a lot of information that is provided to the community at different times that we could share more often with council if that is something of interest. Through this discussion, we’ve heard that this is a topic we should bring back more often. I would like to discuss it at the Board of Health table and bring back some of the data on community benefit and community impact.”
Councillor Lauren Anderson agreed with the referral and the reasoning behind moving it.
“I do appreciate this motion coming forward, but I also understand that this is really not something that we have the right nor the authority to decide around this table,” said Anderson.
Council voted 15 to 1 in favour of referring the motion to the Board of Health, with Councillor Michael Bondy voting against.
