Vancouver clinic set to open supervised inhalation rooms – CBC

Indoor rooms to open at Hope to Health clinic as statistics show more overdose deaths occur from smoking drugs

Sep 18, 2024

The B.C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS is set to open smoking rooms designed for supervised drug use at its Hope to Health clinic in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Kate Salters, a research scientist with the centre, said the six new rooms, which will come into operation when a permit is granted by Health Canada, will offer users a space to inhale drugs safely, indoors and with staff equipped to prevent an overdose nearby.

“This is just another tool in our toolbox to make sure that we’re offering life-saving services to those that are using drugs,” Salters said.

Inhaled drugs account for the majority of toxic drug deaths in B.C., but many overdose prevention sites in the province are instead geared toward users who inject substances.

“The majority of drug users are smokers,” said Sarah Blyth, executive director of the Overdose Prevention Society. “So it’s really important to have a service with doctors and nurses and wraparound care so that people can offer help.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-supervised-inhalation-1.7326757