Drug analyzer Thunder Bay, Mobile goes to ONTS, in view of the shutdown of consumption site

Before Justin Gill started working at the Norweet Community Health Centers (NWCHC), he thought that Fantenal Thunder Bay was the most toxin to affect drug users in Thunder Bay, Onts.

But that was wrong.

Using the organization’s drug analyst machine, he found carfentanill marks – which is 100 times stronger than Fantenal – and Nitzenus People brought in substances.

“It was very worrying,” he said. “People think they are getting one thing, but their substance has many things that can kill them in very small amounts.”

Thunder Bay continues in the district The highest opioidal mortality in OntarioBut About five times the provincial average.

Meanwhile, the only supervised consumption site of the region – Path 525 – was closed in late March. New provincial rules about how close sites can be for schools and childcare settings.

NWCHC, which operated the path 525, is now the lead partner for a new Homeless and addiction recovery treatment (heart) hub In the city. However, unlike supervised consumption sites, these hubs do not allow drug consumption, safe supply or needle exchange programs.

To continue operating its drug analyst machine, NWCHC sought a federal discount under Controlled Drugs and Matter Act. The organization got support from Thunder Bay City to run and run the program Through emergency treatment fund.

This week, the organization launched a new mobile outreach van, which has been retrofitted to allow the machine to be used on board.

People feel that they are getting one thing, but their substance has many things that can kill them in very small amounts.– Justin Gill, worker supports loss in loss

Gill said, “It tells you everything that is there, which used to work in the Path 525 in the east and is now a worker supporting a loss in a loss for mobile outreach vans.

“When people come to test their substances, I don’t know who it is or why they are testing it, right? But whatever is the reason, everyone wants to know.”

Rapid toxic drug supply

NWCHC Executive Director Junita Lawson said that the organization was already offering mobile drug checking services before the closure of Path 525.

Lawson said, “The exciting things we will be able to do, one of them to visit places in the city, make it – we are expecting – we are more accessible to those who would not have come to our program,” Lawson said.

“Then are going to programs such as concerts or going to city places where we know that people can use substances, and ensuring that they have access.”

Drug checking machines use Raman laser technology to scan substances, either detecting scan of small samples or bulk scanning through a clear bag.

“It only requires a small amount, so I am not going to take a large part of the supply from the customer,” Gill said.

NWCHC posts a summary of its drug tests online so that the community can know what is in the road supply. In January, about 63 percent of substances were tested Customers did not expect.

The more toxic as a substance, the more difficult it is that it is difficult to reverse the effects of overdose caused by their consumption.

By educating people about what substances they have, it allows them to make an informed option about whether they want to consume them, he said, which in turn can reduce overdose rates and reduce stress on community’s emergency medical services.

“Our workers who are on the bus will be able to teach some health how to use small doses or not potentially use that substance,” Lawson said.

Trust Building with Clients

An important part of the success of the program is outreach workers on the board, capable of coordinating with people using drugs in the community.

“We know that our outreach workers … safe, can rely on relationships with those who have not been asked questions,” Lawson said.

“We just want people to be safe and we also want to provide them some resources that they may need to navigate on other services.”

Long -term advocate Kyle is a famous person in recovery from recovering from Arnold addiction and a famous person in Thunder Bay’s recovery community. He is now a community assistance worker who specializes in the addiction of Long Lake #58 First Nation.

Arnold said, “I think people with living experiences are very important to do outreach and outreach (from), because at the end of the day, we know very much from how to deal with those types of situations,” Arnold said.

He hopes that the mobile outreach van path helps to bridge the difference in services as a result of the closure of 525, he said.

“It adds too much security to the drug users’ community,” said Arnold.

NWCHC continues to use Free LifeGuardConnect App To issue an alert about toxins in the community. The app consists of information about opioid and addiction services.

For those consumed substances alone, they can use the app to set the timer, which will alert the emergency medical services of their location if it is not closed – indicating a possible overdose.

The mobile outreach van is running from 10 am to 6 pm on Monday to Friday, although NWCHC is seeking a response to how it can be extended further. A map will be posted on its site soon, the route through which the van will take and where people can find it.