VANDU sets up consumption site in Surrey

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Advocates for drug users say it’s taking too long for government to open more supervised consumption sites in the Fraser Valley, so they’ve opened their own.

The Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users is set up in Surrey in time for the day monthly welfare cheques are issued.

A tent is set up on 135-A Street in Surrey where users can get help from trained personnel in case they do overdose.

BC Coroners Service data shows the Fraser Valley has had more overdoses than have been seen in Vancouver, but it has no sanctioned sites.

The province and the health authority want sites outside Vancouver, but community organizer Ann Livingston says it’s taking too long.

“Even people in favour of it are delaying it. They’re fiddling around with Bill C-2 (Respect for Communities Act) federally and trying to exemption 56’s for these and I think in a public health emergency, no Canadian would be opposed to implementing whatever service will cause people not to spread disease and die while you’ve done these applications,” explains Livingston.

“So if the application is in process, there’s no reason to delay getting the facility, getting the people in the door and moving forward with it.”

Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner has come out against a sanctioned site, but Livingston says the science shows they prevent death and lead users to treatment.

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