Health Canada approves renewal of exemption for supervised consumption site

OTTAWA (660 NEWS) — Health Canada has announced it’s approving the renewal of the exemption for the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre’s supervised consumption services. Allowing for Safeworks supervised consumption services to operate for a second year at the AHS facility.

There will be conditions for the exemption that include addressing the needle debris, public disorder and neighbourhood safety issues raised in the Calgary Police Service report.

The renewal is for a period of one year and the exemption will be reviewed in four months.

Health Canada released a statement Thursday in which it writes:

“While most evidence suggests that the presence of a supervised consumption site in a community does not result in an increase in crime, Health Canada takes the report of the Calgary Police Services seriously.”

READ MORE: Nenshi: ‘The answer is not close down the facility’ as CPS reports rise in crime around Sheldon Chumir

Alberta Health’s interim opioid report has shown that 582 people died from an opioid overdose from Jan. 1 to Nov. 11, 2018. That number is nearly 120 more people than the same period from 2017.

Officials say they will continue to work with the Sheldon M. Chumir facility, as well as the province, to support life-saving services for those struggling with substance use, while addressing the need to safeguard the safety and security of the community.

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