After two city council motions requesting the closure of two different Overdose Prevention Sites (OPS) in Nanaimo and Victoria were deferred, B.C. Premier David Eby says that those sites keep people alive.
On Monday, Nanaimo’s City Council decided to postpone a motion that would have requested Island Health to close an overdose prevention site located next to City Hall.
Earlier this month, Victoria’s City Council deferred a similar request.
In both cases, the councillors claim the OPS facilities have caused disorder and crime to increase in their cities.
Eby says he understands certain facilities have raised concerns for residents of cities like Nanaimo and Victoria, as their locations are simply wrong for the community.
However, shutting down OPS facilities does not make drug addiction go away, he stresses.
It just pushes users into more dangerous spaces, for the community and the drug users.
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“It does not actually solve the problem,” Eby said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“Because the people are still there, they are still addicted. They are still using drugs, but now they are using them in locations across the community.”
Eby says he is open to having conversations with cities about OPS facilities.
He says he sees OPS as an important tool in fighting the drug crisis, as they are essential to keep people alive and connected to health professionals.
