Supervised-consumption services proposed for Surrey, B.C., to stem overdoses

SURREY, B.C. — Two supervised-consumption sites have been proposed for Surrey, B.C., in an effort to curb a spike in the number of fatal overdoses.

Health Minister Terry Lake says in a news release that strong evidence from Vancouver’s Insite suggests providing people with a place to inject drugs reduces overdoses and the transmission of diseases.

Fraser Health says it would integrate supervised-consumption services into existing health-care facilities and provide drug users with suboxone and methadone in an effort to treat opioid addiction.

The health authority says the proposed sites are the result of consultation with the City of Surrey, the RCMP, the Surrey Board of Trade, the Surrey School District and potential users of the service.