Hamilton Public Health Services and the Greater Hamilton Health Network are beginning to roll out safe consumption supply vending machines.
The new program will begin this fall.
“As part of harm reduction, we are going to be opening up three health boxes in this city,” Melissa McCallum, Executive Director of the Greater Hamilton Health Network, told Hamilton City Council today.
“These are 24/7 harm reduction vending machines that you will be able to get supplies from, around the clock. This will be the first of this initiative in this region.”
McCallum was presenting her annual report to Council, sitting as Public Health Committee.
She said the first three vending machines will be at Mohawk College and Hamilton General Hospital. Mohawk will host two.
The machines “will include things like naloxone, condoms, items like that to reduce the harms of drug use.
Numerous councillors expressed concern about the plan, asking about underage use of drugs, drug supplies being discarded in parks, and if the vending machines will encourage more drug use.
Councillors Concerned
Ward 8 Clr John-Paul Danko asked, “But they’re not going to have needles and crack pipes and that kind of thing?”
“We will have harm reduction supplies, including clean needles. And, yes, kits for inhalation as well,” responded Public Health Services Director of Epidemiology & Wellbeing Julie Prieto.
Danko repeated his question. “These are just going to be available in a vending machine. No needles and crack pipes?
Prieto confirmed the vending machines would offer these drug consumption supplies.
“These are just going to be available in a vending machine – handing out needles and crack pipes?” Danko asked again.
“Yes, they will be part of the supply,” Prieto confirmed.
“I really don’t know what to say about that,” Danko responded.
Safe Drug Use Supplies Are Not New
Hamilton Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Brendan Lew told councillors that Hamilton Public Health has provided drug use supplies for decades.
“The provision of sterile equipment for harm reduction of substance use has been and continues to be a part of the harm reduction programming within public health services.”
“There’s very good evidence to say that the risk of blood-borne infections and other serious infections related to substance use are addressed or mitigated or prevented by the use of sterile equipment.”
The supplies are delivered to Hamilton Public Health by the Ministry of Health.
The vending machines are designed to reach populations needing safe supplies that are not currently accessing services.
Councillor Says Safe Drug Use Supplies Save Lives
Ward 2 Clr Cameron Kroetsch said the vending machines will save lives.
“For a long time and decades ago, it was a lot harder, to get access to clean supplies. And this increased mortality increased people dying as a result. And so by reducing the barriers here, we’re not only making this safer for people, we’re reducing harm and reducing death,” Kroetsch said.
“If people want to start having these kinds of evidence-based discussions politicized here, I think it’s a really dangerous and slippery slope. What we’re hearing from our medical professionals is quite clearly that having safe supplies for people who are going to use drugs regardless.”
Kroetsch continued, “For those who don’t seem to understand this point, for thousands of years, people have been using drugs. People are going to continue to use drugs. The evidence is pretty clear about that. If we provide safer supplies for people and safer places for people to use drugs, it’ll be better health outcomes for them, and fewer of our neighbours will die … That’s why we’re doing this, and that’s who we’re helping.”
Outside of Council’s Direct Control
As councillors debated the program’s merits, they were told the implementation is under the auspices of the Ontario Ministry of Health and not subject to Council approval.
“I will note that it has not been brought to council for permission, to have these health boxes in the community. We do see this as sort of a low barrier option for individuals who really need access to clean supplies,” Director of Epidemiology & Wellbeing Julie Prieto stated.
Concerns About Youth Using Drugs
Ward 9 Clr Brad Clark asked if there are measures to prevent underaged teenagers and children from accessing crack pipes.
He asked if the City requires people receiving drug supplies to be over the age of 18. The City does not.
“So a young person 15 years of age could come in with the drugs in hand, and we would assist them in the administering of those drugs?,” Clark asked.
“There is no specific age of majority, there’s no specific age requirement,” Dr. Lew confirmed.
Ward 7 Clr Esther Pauls is concerned about the message the machines send to youth.
“What kind of message is it sending? We’re telling our young people that you could try those things, those pipes.”
“Are we saying, if you want to try it, go ahead, try, it’s free, take it,” Pauls asked.
Motion to Block Safe Supply Vending Machines and Review Funding to Any Agency Hosting Machines
At the end of the debate, Clr Danko moved a notice of motion to pressure organizations not to host the vending machines, and to prohibit other city departments from hosting the public health vending machines.
Danko moved that “the unsupervised distribution of drug paraphernalia not be permitted on any City of Hamilton facilities” and “that the City of Hamilton taxpayer funding to any community organizations engaged in the unsupervised distribution of drug paraphernalia be referred to the 2025 budget for consideration.”
The City of Hamilton has partnerships with Mohawk College and Hamilton Health Sciences. It is not immediately clear what funding those partnerships receive.
Danko’s motion calls on Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones to end the program’s funding.
The motion is scheduled to be considered at the next Council Public Health meeting on November 4.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: September 30, 2024 Last updated: September 30, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version