How taking a harm reduction approach to substance use saves lives in London

Every day, from morning to night, Regional HIV/AIDS Connection offers its Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service. 

Rather than telling people to say no to drugs, and stopping there, they're taking a harm reduction approach to substance use in London, Ont., and it's saving lives.

According to their website, the program is "Ontario's first officially-sanctioned temporary site for people to use their drugs safely and seek services for recovery." 

"So I think the whole idea behind harm reduction is that it's really about valuing the dignity of people who use substances," said Megan Van Boheemen, the interim director of harm reduction at Regional HIV/AIDS Connection. "So people who are using drugs are coming in here and we believe they have the right to use safely."

"It's really just about giving people what they need. It's an essential service."

Boheemen said that they see 50 to 60 people coming in every day to access the safe consumption site — before the pandemic they had about 80 per day now — and according to their website, from April 1, 2020 to March 31 of this year, they had more than 17,000 visits. 

Boheemen said approximately 171 overdoses were reversed. To put that into perspective, there were 100 deaths linked to opioids reported in 2020 in Middlesex-London.

She said that some don't support what they do but explained that it's simply not about handing out needles and sending people on their way. It has more to do with having a conversation with clients who come in. 

"We meet people where they're at," Boheemen said. "And eventually, the idea is that we're going to connect with them and provide that education to them. When people are using in the room, we can use that as an opportunity to provide some tips on how to use safely."

Kailey Goddard is a harm reduction case manager with Regional HIV/AIDS Connection. In 2014, she stopped using substances with the help of the organization she now works for. 

Harm reduction played a big role in her journey, she said.

"So, my experience with substance use was very challenging," said Goddard. 

"I was willing and ready to make changes and then some of the expectations that were placed on me at the time that I may not have been ready or able to meet those expectations in order to make changes in my life."

An expectation was that she abstained from substance use to stay in a shelter, for example. Abstinence wasn't something she could do at the time due to withdrawals from opioids, which she was dependent on at the time. 

"Through the organizations that practice harm reduction, I was looked at as a person for who I am," she said.

"For me, my goal was to be completely abstinent from all substances, and I've been able to reach that goal," Goddard said. "I don't believe I would've been able to do that without the harm reduction approach of meeting me where I'm at and helping me in the way that I needed. I know myself best. And so without that support, I don't think I would be here today."