The growth of overdose prevention sites
When Insite opened in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in 2003, it was the first time people who used illicit drugs “could walk into a welcoming space with trained staff and nurses on hand to respond to overdoses, deal with immediate health issues, and provide referral to addiction treatment,” according to a news release from Vancouver Coastal Health marking the facility’s 20th anniversary.
In late 2016, in an early response to the public health emergency, then B.C. health minister Terry Lake authorized the first overdose prevention sites outside Vancouver. Since then, the number of these sites has grown to 45 provincewide. Here is the breakdown by health region:
Interior: 9
Fraser: 11
Northern: 7
Island: 7
Vancouver Coastal: 11 (8 in Vancouver alone)
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