Peel Region’s First Supervised Drug Consumption Site Approved Near Bramalea City Centre

Plans are progressing for the establishment of Peel Region’s inaugural supervised drug consumption site, with the Regional Council reaching a decision on its location near Brampton’s Bramalea City Centre. The council members approved the site during their meeting on Thursday, July 6, despite some concerns and criticism.

Also known as a safe consumption site, the supervised drug consumption facility aims to provide a secure and non-judgmental environment where individuals using substances can receive monitoring from healthcare professionals. These professionals will be equipped to administer life-saving medications like naloxone in the event of an overdose.

Moyo Health and Community Services (formerly the Peel HIV/AIDS Network), a long-standing organization providing health promotion, education, and support services for people impacted by HIV, is collaborating with the council to develop these sites.

The concept of establishing supervised drug consumption sites in Peel has been under discussion by the Regional Council for several years. Last summer, the council examined recommendations for downtown Brampton and Mississauga’s Cooksville neighborhood as potential locations for the first facility. They also considered the possibility of mobile sites to cater to less densely populated areas in the region.

However, not all council members were in favor of the chosen location near Bramalea City Centre. They expressed concerns that the site might be too close to the bustling shopping mall and the upcoming medical school at Bramalea Civic Centre, among other issues. Mayor Patrick Brown suggested that a better site could be found in Mississauga, while Councillor Pat Fortini argued that the downtown Brampton area, originally recommended by the staff, would be more suitable.

Despite these dissenting voices, Mayor Bonnie Crombie and other councillors supported the chosen location, emphasizing the urgent need to establish these sites in response to the escalating number of opioid-related deaths in Mississauga and Brampton.

According to a recent report, since July 2022, 155 individuals have lost their lives due to suspected drug overdoses in Peel Region. Another report from last summer revealed a total of 654 deaths reported between 2017 and 2021, primarily affecting adults aged 25 to 44 in the region.

“The increasingly dangerous drug supply in Peel has resulted in a significant rise in deaths caused by fentanyl and its analogues,” states the report. “For more than half of the opioid-related deaths in Peel in 2021, no one was present at the time of the incident to intervene, such as administering naloxone or calling 911.”