Update Note: Mohawk College states the two machines on their campuses “will not offer safe inhalation or safe injection supplies including drug paraphernalia.”
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 whether 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. 1.1.0 Published: September 30, 2024 Last updated: October 1, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version v. 1.1.0 added statement issued by Mohawk College.
Discussion
19 commentsNo such thing as safe drug sites they are all unsafe and killing people we need mandatory safe rehab
We absolutely need more safe rehab. If someone wants rehab or is ready for rehab, they have to wait over a month for a spot to open. This is a fail. I am not sure how forced rehab would work or if it would work, but it could be an option vs. jail.
Why would anyone argue against clean supplies? It really has me questioning the intelligence of our councillors.
Once again, insanity has been brought to Hamilton. They are attempting to make Hamilton a dumping ground where all of this homelessness, addiction, drug use becomes the norm. If this happens, we are literally like British Columbia where they have these very same drug paraphernalia dispensing machines. This is becoming something like out of a science fiction movie here in Hamilton. The downtown core already looks like there’s an apocalypse with these zombies walking around or contorted in ways that are not natural for a normal human being unless drug induced. Mayor Andrea with your strong mayor powers, where are you now? You have an opportunity to say or do something and advocate on behalf of Hamiltonians not having these drug paraphernalia dispensing machines in our City and yet your voice falls silent once again?
Thank you for the comment.
This is a Ontario Ministry of Health initiative, not something Hamilton City Council had a say in.
Mayor Horwath was at Truth and Reconciliation Day events during Monday’s meeting.
Strong Mayor powers are for housing matters and some staff appointments. The Mayor does not appoint the Medical Officers of Health.
I’ll publish an update when Mayor Horwath comments on this matter.
The average cost to the healthcare system for one person with hepatitis is $2000 a month. Giving drug users $2 needles is well worth the investment.
Can someone explain to me why Mohawk College (I am assuming W5th campus as its not specified) is the best location for two vending machines that give out needles and pipes. Why is General Hospital the 2nd best?
I do not believe the sites are ranked. These are the first planned sites.
The reasons they were chosen was not discussed during yesterday’s council meeting.
So having a genuine concern for the inherent curiosity of young people is a lack of intelligence? If you facilitate an underage person the keys to a vehicle you dont think they will want to drive it! …again social madness by those supposedly in the know!
I must have missed the spot where these vending machines were to be put in primary schools and childrens playgrounds.
This move by the Ministry is absolutely diabolical! It doesn’t even make good nonsense! I will also say, that if Mohawk College has a vending machine, a lot of parents will reconsider funding their child’s education there. I would think twice.
This is a completely diabolical move. I would seriously reconsider funding my child’s education at a facility where this disservice was made available.
Yikes, please rethink this scheme!
Hamilton has built a solid reputation with economic viability on progressive Healthcare.and it’s industries. When elected politicians without relevant experience or education make quick assumptions – no factual evidence then valuable work – that usually designed to save lives is is slowed even stopped. Mixed messages confusing public and experts.
While you are providing drug addicts with clean needles, drugs and drug paraphernalia to keep them safe, once these products are used, they are no longer considered safe nor are they clean. Do you really believe or expect us to believe the addicts will properly dispose of the harzardous materials? These unsafe products, that you’ve provided, end up in our home gardens, parks, playgrounds and on our sidewalks. Who keeps us safe from contracting disease from the now dirty needles or accidents from the bags of drugs they dump in open public areas. Not to mention, you provide them the drugs and then unleash an incredibly high and sometimes, very violent drug addict on us, the law abiding citizens of Hamilton. So, we are going to jeopardize the safety of our children and the general public so a drug addict can remain safe? Again, who keeps us safe? I question the core values of those promoting this absurd idea and the real reasons behind such a disastrous, non sensical, unsafe proposal. We need rehab to help addicts get clean. We should not be encouraging more of the criminal behaviour this poor city and it’s constituents have been witness to. Everyone in Hamilton deserves more including the drug addicts!
Seriously, I thought drugs were illegal, now we have a government encouraging the use by providing supplies and safe places to consume?
Bad enough you guys have the Ti-Cats there now this, there will be used needles everywhere. Great job Canada, way to fight the war on drugs.
Instead of allowing people to live in tents in our city parks and now supply them with drugs. Why not clean up our parks and give these people a clean place to stay and offer help and support from trained professionals. I swear we’re living in the twilight zone.
One thing is abundantly clear to me on this issue. After reading dozens and dozens of comments on FB, Twitter, Letters to the Spec, comments on here, and led by councillors spouting off nonsense… the majority of people with an opinion on this have no idea what the boxes look like, how they operate, where they will be or what will be in them.
The very sad thing is that even once people get new information, it seems most become incapable of changing their minds. IMHO, this is how conservatives win elections.
The communication by public health officials on Monday was poor.
In the exchange above, they responded ‘yes’ to the question that there would be drug-use supplies in the vending machines.
They did explain how the machines will operate. Mohawk College was not aware of the drug-use supplies.
I published this story on Monday after Ward 8 Councillor John-Paul Danko began his public campaign against the vending machines.
I wrote the available information from the Public Health Committee.
Without clear information from public officials, we have a maelstrom of impressions.
Another challenge is the number of indirect descriptions we use for these topics. Creating headlines for stories on these topics is challenging because various people use different terminologies.
Comments are closed on this story.